Naruto: Rebirth of the Flying Thunder God
by Android100
Summary: On Hiatus The Yellow Flash returns, in the form of Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto x Hinata Going to be Epic Length.
1. Prologue

Naruto: Rebirth of the Yellow Flash

By: Android 100

"Normal speech."

"**KYUUBI SPEECH."**

"_Thoughts."_

**I'm gonna say it once and for all, I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Author's Note: The Hiraishin no Jutsu will be the basis of my fanfic, for those of you who don't know the jutsu, here it is: 

**_Flying Thunder God Technique_**

_**Name:**__ Hiraishin no Jutsu, __L__iterally means__ "Flying Thunder God Technique"_

_**Type:**__ S-rank, Supplementary, All ranges_

_**User:**__ Fourth Hokage_

_This mother of all jutsu was created by the Fourth Hokage and the reason behind his nickname, "The Yellow Flash of Konoha," __Konoha no Kīroi Senko__). It allows the user to move over large distances with ultra-high speed. It is often compared with the Body Flicker Technique, but the speed of this jutsu is much greater. In principle, it is similar to summoning, but instead of bringing something to the user, it sends them somewhere. Also, it makes no noise and produces no puff of smoke, allowing the user to appear behind someone unnoticed._

_To activate this jutsu, the user needs a special seal or "jutsu formula" to mark the destination. After this is done, the user can almost instantaneously transport himself to that location. The Fourth applied the formula in advance to weapons such as kunai. It is also possible to leave a formula in an area touched by the user._

_This technique is the reason Konoha came out victorious in the Iwa-Konoha Ninja War. After having his subordinates toss marked kunai randomly into the enemy ranks, the Fourth used the technique to appear within their ranks and slaughter them one by one before they could even react._

_In reality, the actual Japanese word Hiraishin means lightning rod._

* * *

**Prologue**

Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Fire Shadow stood on top a cliff, the blond spiky haired Hokage frowned at the gruesome massacre occurring before him. Kyuubi, a demon fox thought to be just a myth, had randomly appeared on the border of Konohagakure no Sato.

Immediately the Yondaime had sent his best ninja, the jonin and ANBU to hold off the threat, and he couldn't believe how much blood there was being shed. The pressure of the youkai the kitsune was emitting was literally mind numbing. Before most of the shinobi even got within range to attack, they had cowered in primal and instinctual fear. Many collapsed, and only a few of the three man squads had overcome their instinct to flee. By the time the Yondaime was prepared, the kitsune was already inside Konoha wreaking death and destruction.

Meanwhile the Yondaime, was situated on head of Gamabunta, the toad summon, clutching a small form at his side, his only child. He held back tears as he drew nearer to the demon fox and prepared the _Shiki Fūjin_, an S-class sealing jutsu that would allow him to seal the kitsune into the small bundle he held. Once he did that he would perform the _Shishō Fūin _and then the _Hakke no Fūin Shiki _so that the demon fox's chakra could mix with the child's chakra safely. He had naively hoped that the life of his son would not be too hard, but he knew he could not delude himself, he knew that once the demon was sealed, the villagers of Konoha would take any opportunity to make life a living hell for his son.

He drew a weary sigh as he and Gamabunta landed with a crash in front of Kyuubi. The fox lord stared full of menace at the yellow haired ningen standing before him. But before he could attack with one of his nine tails, which was said to crush mountains and raise tsunamis, the Yondaime had already finished the long series of hand signs required for the _Shiki Fūjin_. With a flash of light the Shinigami appeared behind the Yondaime, and stretched its pale hands toward the demon fox. As much as Kyuubi flailed and struggled he was dragged into the seal placed on the infant.

Minato knew he had triumphed, but before he had his own soul taken away from him for sacrifice, he quickly rushed through the _Shishō Fūin_ and the _Hakke no Fūin Shiki _so that the kitsune would remain in Naruto safely. With his last few breaths the Fourth Fire Shadow, Yondaime Hokage, prayed that his son would forgive him of what he had done.

_"Forgive me, Naruto."_

* * *

Terms & Jutsu: 

_Shiki Fūjin – Dead Demon Consuming Seal_

_Shishō Fūin - __Four Symbols Seal_

_Hakke no Fūin Shiki - __Eight Trigrams Sealing Style_

_Ningen - Human_

_Youkai – Demonic Chakra_

_Kitsune – Demon Fox_

_Shinigami - Death God _

* * *

Author's Note: Please Review 


	2. My Name is Uzumaki Naruto

**Chapter 1: Enter Uzumaki Naruto**

* * *

Malnutrition is the lack of sufficient nutrients to maintain a healthy body. It's caused by an improper or insufficient diet. People who are malnourished lack the nutrients needed for proper health and development. They are more likely to get sick easily and, in severe cases, may even die. 

A blond child was teetering pecariously on the street corner. He was presently suffering from mild malnutrition, and his feet barely had the energy to support him. Even though the Sandaime tried to get him fed, every time he left him with some one to feed him, he would immediately find himself on the streets. When the Sandaime turned his eye to the running of the village, the person responsible for him would immediately neglect him. Consequently, he had spent most of the last year fending for himself. That's why he was currently staring hungrily at a fried dango stall across the street. When the delicious smell of the dango wafted into his nostril, his stomach growled voraciously. He had to have some food or he would faint from hunger. The blond looked pathetically hungry as he gazed intensely at the fat vendor selling the fried food.

_'He's so fat, he won't miss one stick of dango.' _

Peering back over at the enticing sticks of fried dough, sticky with sugary icing, He almost fainted from the sight. The starving child steeled himself and banished any guilt trying to make surface in his conscience. He crept over to the stall next to the fried dango.

The relative peace and silence in Konoha was shattered with a shout.

"Get back here you thief!"

The eight year old had silently stolen the dango wrapped in large leaves off the vendor's stall; he would have gotten away with it too, if some weird looking ninja hadn't started randomly yelling about the unyouthfulness of stealing. The shabbily dressed blonde quickly glanced at the bowl cut hair and ridiculous eyebrows said ninja sported and dashed for a hiding place.

Sure he was weak with hunger, but that same hunger gave him a desperate energy at the sight of dango. His teetering body gave up all the energy it had at the chance to eat some food. He quickly dodged through the crowd out pacing the furious vendor, and stopped to eat his meal for the day. The vendor had been so ignorant he hadn't noticed his missing dango until it was gone. And he had done it in plain sight too! The blond chuckled.

"Stupid fat ass."

Suddenly out of nowhere the bowl cut ninja he saw at the stall appeared right in front of him.

"Holy Shit!" the young thief yelled as he scrambled back.

Usually no one but top leveled ninja could sneak up on him. Including influence from the kitsune housed within him, years of stealing from villagers and sneaking away from ninja had already given him exceptional senses. But the bowl cut shinobi's booming voice soon made him regret his good hearing.

"SUCH FOUL LANGUAGE, IT IS SO UNYOUTHFUL!!!!"

The blonde's sweat dropped as he gaped at the ninja standing before him, '_Aren't ninja supposed to be masters of silence and stealth?'_

He shrugged off that thought and immediately tried to get the loud ninja to shut-up.

"Oi, quiet down, what do want?" he said glaring at the ridiculous looking shinobi.

"YOU HAVE TO RETURN THOSE FRIED DANGO OR YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH WILL SMOULDER!!!!!!!!"

'_My flames of youth, what the hell?'_

"I don't know where you got "flames of youth" from but I'm not returning anything. I stole these dango fair and square, and if some stupid villager can't keep track of his food, then that's his fault!"

He flinched. _'Ok that came out wrong, since when do you steal something fair and square?'_

"YOU CAN'T STEAL FAIRLY, THAT IS UNYOUTHFUL!!!!!!

The bowl cut ninja loudly boomed. The blond just grimaced at how loud the ninja was.

"YOSH, IF YOU RETURN THE DANGO AND STOKE THE FIRES OF YOUR YOUTH, I WILL BUY YOU ANYTHING! He immediately perked up at this.

"Oi Super Brows, is there a limit on the amount?"

"NO, BECAUSE I AM SO YOUTHFUL AND MY FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHTLY THERE IS NO LIMIT!

A foxy, mischievous grin appeared on the eight year olds face. He knew exactly where he was going to eat.

* * *

When they arrived at Ichiraku Ramen (if you didn't guess then you don't deserve to be called a Naruto fan) the blond asked for the ninja's name. With an eerily bright smile and a thumb up, the ninja boomed out 

"YOSH, MY NAME IS MAITO GAI; AND I AM THE BEAUTIFUL GREEN BEAST OF KONOHA!!!!!!"

"Do you have to be so loud?"

"HAI, FOR I HAVE – Before Gai could finish the blond interrupted sarcastically "Lemme guess, a bright passionate flame of youth?" Gai just gaped, and answered in an awed and quiet voice "you read my mind!"

The eight year old gaped at Gai with his shockingly blue eyes and shook his head. _'Is this guy for real!? What ever, I get a free meal, heh, heh.' _He looked over the counter at the two people running the stall. He had met old man Ichiraku and his daughter Ayame-chan a few months ago. And whenever he filched enough money, either from the Hyuga or Uchiha, he always came to Ichiraku's to eat what he considered Kami's gift to man… ramen.

"Oi, Ayame-chan, give me, ten miso, ten chicken, and ten beef ramen!" Naruto decided he would really stuff himself, who knew when his next good meal would come?

"Comin' right up Naruto!" Ayame said cheerfully.

When Gai heard how much the kid was going to order he started to weep. How was he to know that with anything concerning ramen the blonde had the biggest and brightest fires of youth? As he ate, Gai started up a conversation with the blond.

"Yosh, I never got your name!"

He glanced suspiciously at Gai. "Why do you care?"

Just as Gai was going to loudly answer, the blonde hastily replied with wide eyes,

"Don't answer! My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

Terms & Jutsu: 

_Oji-san - Grandfather _

_  
Kami: Japanese God_

_  
Shinobi: Another name for ninja_

* * *

_Authors Note: The chapters will get longer and longer, I'm just getting into the groove of writing. I plan to write at least a 1500 words per chapter. And anyway I thought it be good place to end the chapter. Also please review._


	3. The Beginning of a New Life

**Chapter 2: The Beginning of a New Life**

* * *

**Last Chapter:**

"_Yosh, I never got your name!" Gai declared. Naruto glanced suspiciously at Gai. "Why do you care?" Just as Gai was going to loudly answer, Naruto hastily replied with wide eyes, "Don't answer! My name is Uzumaki Naruto."_

* * *

Gai eyes widened, he had quickly realized who Naruto really was. _'The Kyuubi vessel!' _But he calmed himself down. He knew that Naruto couldn't be dangerous. Most of the Villagers saw him as the Kyubi reincarnated. But all he saw was just a malnourished and abused child. He decided that he would get to know Naruto before he judged him. 

"So Naruto, how old are you?" Gai asked as Naruto busily inhaled his beef ramen.

Naruto gazed at Gai, as if trying to see something in the oddly dressed ninja. He was still suspicious of Maito Gai, even though he had bought him ramen, no one displayed this much interest in him, except for Oji-san, the Sandaime Hokage

_'What can possibly happen if I tell him?' _

"I'll be nine this October." Naruto replied warily.

"YOSH, THEN YOU GO TO THE NINJA ACADEMY, RIGHT?"

Naruto stared at Gai reproachfully,

_'I thought ninja had good sight.' _

Gai obviously hadn't noticed how shabbily Naruto was dressed. His shirt looked as if it had gone through a meat grinder from all the beatings the villager's gave him, and his pants weren't much better.

"Do I look like I go to the academy? What kind of shinobi are you?"

Naruto was irritated.

"YOSH, I AM THE TAIJUTSU MASTER, THE PRIDEFUL GREEN BEAST OF KONOHA."

'_Ugh, I shouldn't have asked him that.' _

"Anyway," Naruto said, "I'm an orphan, and the stupid orphanage I lived in kicked me out yesterday. I was gonna go to the Sandaime to figure out where I was going to live."

Just as Naruto finished his statement, Gai let out an exuberant yell.

"YOSH, NOW I REMEMBER!"

* * *

_Flashback:_

_--The Sandaime Hokage sat at his desk, with Maito Gai across from him. He had learned earlier from one of his ANBU that Naruto had been kicked out of the orphanage. Instead of punishing the owners and putting Naruto back in it. He decided he would give Naruto his own apartment and monthly pay. He had summoned Maito Gai as he was one of the few ninja that didn't hate Naruto in Konoha. "Maito, your mission is to retrieve Naruto and bring him to me, I have something for him. Gai, who realized he had a mission (no matter how small it was) boomed out _

_"YOSH, I WILL COMPLETE THIS MISSION, AND IF I DON'T, I WILL RUN AROUND KONOHA 100 TIMES, AND IF I CAN'T RUN AROUND KONOHA 100 TIMES, THEN I WILL DO 1000 PUSHUPS, AND IF-_

_"That's enough Gai, just find Naruto." _

_Sarutobi sighed and rubbed his head as Gai bound out of the office still shouting.—_

* * *

"Remember what?" Naruto said." 

"The Hokage wants to see you," Gai said matter of factly.

Naruto jumped out of his seat in angry annoyance. How do you forget a mission from the Sandaime?

"What! How the hell did you forget that?!" Naruto yelled out loud.

"Let's go!" Naruto crammed the last of the ramen in his mouth, and ran towards the Hokage Tower, with Gai still sitting at Ichiraku's. Old man Ichiraku wanted his money, and he wanted it now. Gai wept as he handed over most of his paycheck for the week.

Naruto had ducked around the secretary who tried to catch him as he ran by. He pushed past the big door to the Hokage's office and a stepped into the room.

'_Oops' _

Naruto had interrupted a conversation. The Sandaime was with a man with a shaggy mane of long white hair, dressed in red and green clothing, and red markings on his face.

"Naruto, what did I tell you about barging into a room unannounced," Sarutobi said sagely.

"Heh, sorry Oji-san," Naruto said sheepishly.

"I'll talk to you later sensei." And with a nod from Sarutobi, the white haired disappeared with a whoosh of leaves.

'_I wish I could disappear like that.' _Naruto thought to himself.

"Ah yes Naruto, I have something for you."

Sarutobi tossed Naruto a set of keys. His blue eyes widened as he caught them.

"What's this for Oji-san?"

"Why that's for your new apartment Naruto," Sarutobi replied with a grin.

* * *

Terms & Jutsu: 

_Sandaime Hokage: Third Fire Shadow_

_Yosh: Alright_

_Author's Note: If you haven't noticed yet, in my fanfic Naruto strongly dislikes the villagers and doesn't care about their well being. In fact The only people he'll be nice to are the people close to him (like Sarutobi), or the people who don't mistreat him (like Gai). He won't have the desire to be Hokage until he graduates and completes his first C-class mission. (Inari softens him up)_

* * *

_Author's Note: Review Please_


	4. The Start of Something Good

**Chapter 3: And the Start of Something Good**

* * *

**Last Chapter: **

"_Ah yes Naruto, I have something for you." Sarutobi tossed Naruto as set of keys. His blue eyes widened as he caught them. "What's this for Oji-san?" Naruto asked. "Why that's for your new apartment Naruto," Sarutobi replied with a grin._

* * *

"New apartment?" Naruto breathed out, stunned. 

"Yes, but that's not all." Sarutobi now had an even wider grin.

Naruto slowly grasped the thick envelope the Sandaime held in his hand. He looked inside and his eyes widened further. In the envelope was a thick wad of bills! _'That's gotta be 25,000 ryu!'_ He thought to himself. Naruto started drooling at the thought of all the money. The third Hokage, chuckled at the sight before him.

"Naruto," Sarutobi started, I heard you had been kicked out of the orphanage."

At this Naruto scowled, _'Wasn't my fault, dumbass villagers.' _The Sandaime sighed; he was tired of all the hate Naruto received. Even though they weren't related, he might as well have. He loved Naruto like a grandson, and tried to protect him from the abuse but there was only so much one man could do, no matter how powerful. _'The village council didn't make it any easier either.'_ He sighed again, weary of Konoha's hatred.

"Anyway Naruto, I "convinced" the landlord of your new apartment that if I hear any from you about any mistreatment, he'd get an appointment with Morino Ibiki. I don't think you need to worry about being kicked out, or any mistreatment from your neighbors" Naruto had a small smirk on his face.

"Thanks, Oji-san."

"You're welcome Naruto" Sarutobi, a fatherly gaze on his face.

Naruto turned to go, but before he could leave, the Hokage stopped him.

"Naruto, how would feel about becoming a ninja? I know you don't want to do it to protect Konoha, but it would allow you to protect yourself."

Naruto's eyes widened for the fourth time that day, he thought about what it would mean if the people of Konoha were no longer a threat. _'No more attacks, no more pain… Wait a minute! If I was a ninja, I could hurt… them.'_ By now Naruto had a malicious smile on his face. But he abruptly shook his head. _'Argh, where did that come from? I'm not that sadistic, and what would Oji-san say anyway?' _The third had seen the emotions on Naruto's face, surprise, relief, and then a cruel visage. He decided he would ignore it for now.

"Well Naruto, what do you say?" Naruto looked up sharply.

He had a broad smile on his face. "I'll go."

* * *

On his way to his new apartment, Naruto thought about what his new life had in store for him. He had a place to live, money to spend, and he was going to be a shinobi! He chuckled, and said to him self. 

"Basically I have a life."

Some of the villagers shivered, the demon was laughing! That scared them, and before Naruto knew it he was running from the villagers to his apartment, but the sound of his laughter could still be heard, it rang merrily down the street.

* * *

The sound of trilling birds woke Naruto from his slumber. He yawned, and a big smile took his face. He hadn't had a good night sleep in forever! He got up and looked at the calendar beside his futon. It was Sunday; tomorrow he would go to the academy and start his training as a ninja. But today, he had to get prepared. He slowly staggered over to his bathroom, and groggily stared at the morning. He winced; Naruto was not a morning person. His eyes were sagging and drool was hanging off his lower lip. _'Early bird gets the worm my ass. Whoever invented the morning should die.' _

"Oh well, this is definitely better than the last four years of my life."

After Naruto got washed and ate, he wore the new outfit Oji-san gave to him. A white high collared shirt, (like Sasukes') beige shorts and blue shinobi sandals. When he opened his door, Naruto saw something. _'Eh? What's this?'_ he thought to himself. A light blue goggle with a note attached to it was on the floor.

"**I hope you like your gift, Naruto."**

**Anonymous.**

'_I have a secret admirer?' _

Naruto put on the goggles and tried to think of who it could be. No one came to mind. "Oh well," he said to himself, and he walked out on to the street.

* * *

Ten year old Tenten Tsurugi (AN: ha ha ten year old Tenten :) lounged on the counter of her parents ninja store, her parents were currently at the back of the store. She was not in good mood. 

_'Stupid parents, stupid Sunday, stupid everything!' _

She was currently being bored out of her mind. It was a Sunday and no one went shopping on Sunday, not even ninja.

"AAARGH!!!!" Tenten yelled, frustrated. This was what Naruto walked into when he strolled into Tsurugi's Shinobi Outlet.

"Did I come at a bad time?"

To say Tenten was embarrassed would be an understatement.

"How can I help you?" said Tenten self-consciously.

"I'm looking for some shinobi clothes, about three high collared black shirts, four high collared blue shirts, seven black pants, two pairs of sandals, two pairs of metal plated gloves, and some bandages. I also want some fifty kunai and fifty shruiken. You got that?" Naruto asked. Tenten stared reproachfully at Naruto. "Are you sure you got enough money for all that? I mean, you look like you're just nine!" Tenten blurted out witheringly. Naruto glowered at this. "Not like you're much older." He muttered.

"What did you say?" Tenten, her eyes narrowed.

"Nothing." Naruto muttered.

"Right."

"Listen, can you get what I asked or not?"

"I can."

Tenten totaled up the cost with the cash register and with a ping she said, "That'll be 15,000 ryu."

_'That much!'_

Tenten glanced at his astonished face.

"Shinobi clothes are tougher than regular clothes and they last longer."

'_Makes sense,'_ Naruto thought. He also knew that she probably wasn't lying, because Oji-san had recommended the shop. And with that, he handed over 15,000 ryu. Tenten with a few handsigns, quickly sealed all the clothes in a temporary scroll. "How will I get the clothes out of the scroll? Naruto asked.

"Don't worry, just press the button at the end of the scroll and the clothes will be unsealed." Naruto gave his thanks, but before he could leave, Tenten stopped him.

"You're going to join the the Ninja Academy, aren't you?"

Naruto nodded

"Then you should probably get some scrolls for beginner ninja at the library."

After he quickly stashed the scroll in his apartment, Naruto decided he would take Tenten's advice and went to the library. He realized that he didn't know much about the ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu arts and he wanted to be prepared come tomorrow. At the library, Naruto looked for scrolls that could help.

"All right, let's see… Chakra 101 for Dummies, hmm that sounds good, ooh Basic Taijutsu for Genin, nice. Uh? Kurenai's Book of Genjutsu for Beginners?_'Might as well.'_

Soon Naruto was on his futon, scrolls unraveled before him, trying to cram as much shinobi arts as he could. When he finally slumped over, he had a contented smirk on his face.

* * *

Terms & Jutsu; 

_Yen: Japanese currency_

_Futon: A Japanese bed. Basically just a padded mattress wrapped in cloth. (No bed frame)_

_Kunai: Triangular shaped ninja knife with a circle of metal at the end of the handle._

_Shruiken: Pointy star shaped knife._

_Genin: Beginner shinobi_

* * *

Authors Note: I know nothing exciting has happened so far but bear with me, I want to really develop Naruto and other characters as we go on. Rest assured there will be plenty of bloody combat for those who like that sort of thing(At least when Naruto graduates :) Also please review. 


	5. Konoha's Ninja Academy

**Chapter 4: Konoha's Ninja Academy**

* * *

**Last Chapter:  
**

_At the library, Naruto looked for scrolls that could help. "All right, let's see… __Chakra 101 for Dummies__, hmm that sounds good, ooh __Basic Taijutsu for Genin__, nice. Uh? __Kurenai's Book of Genjutsu for Beginners?__'Might as well.'__ Soon Naruto was on his futon, scrolls unraveled before him, trying to cram as much shinobi arts as he could. When he finally slumped over, he had a contented smirk on his face._

* * *

It was seven o'clock when Naruto opened his eyes. Even though he wasn't a morning type of guy, he was wide awake as soon as he got up. 

'_Today's the day,'_ he thought to himself. Hopping on one foot to get his sandals on, and put on his light blue high collared shirt, Naruto quickly rushed to get ready. After he secured his door with a seal, he jumped on to the curb outside his apartment and towards the academy. He weaved through the busy crowds of buyers and sellers on the bustling Konoha streets. Just as he turned the corner, he crashed into someone. He heard a small whimper as he fell. When he got up he looked at the person he had knocked into. It was a pale, dark haired girl about his age. She had no pupils and she had a blush on her face.

"Sorry," Naruto apologized. "I was in a rush to get to the Ninja academy."

"It's okay; I didn't watch where I was going"

When she had answered Naruto almost didn't hear her (and that was saying something as he had the best hearing except for the Inuzuka Clan.) Naruto didn't hear much else from her as she was twiddling her thumbs together. He took this as an awkward sign to leave.

"Um, bye."

And with that he dashed off._ 'What a weird girl,' _Naruto thought to himself. _'Oh well, I'll probably never see her again._

* * *

When Naruto got to class, there was only one person in the theater style classroom, Relaxing with his eyes closed at his desk, he had a typical shinobi outfit and a chunin flak jacket on. When Naruto walked closer he noticed that the instructor had a scar running across his nose and a weird pineapple shaped hair-do. 

As soon as he got within five feet, the chunin's eyes opened.

"Are you here to attend my class?" He questioned.

Naruto wordlessly nodded, and then handed over the note that Oji-san had given him to give to the pineapple haired instructor. The chunin skimmed the paper over and silently motioned for Naruto to choose a seat.

Right after Naruto had situated himself at the end of the middle row of bleachers, another kid walked into the room. He had dark black hair and a nuetral on his face. He also sported a blue high collared shirt like Naruto's. Naruto glanced at the other kid as he took a seat on the row below his.

'_He looks serious,'_ he thought.

Five minutes later, a group of four boys walked into class. One had dark brown hair, red markings running down his cheek with a feral expression on his face. He wore a grey ski coat on with the white furred hood pulled up, but what really caught Naruto's attention was the white dog parked right on his head.

'_Pets are allowed?' _Naruto asked himself, surprised. He looked at the chunin instructor who did nothing, and just shrugged. _'Whatever.'_

The other kid was also wearing a coat, but you couldn't see anything except for his glasses and dark hair. The third was fat with swirls on his cheek and chomping on some chips. The last boy was frowning and had a bored look on his face, as if he would rather not be here. He also had a pineapple shaped hair do like the chunin instructor.

Following the four boys were three girls, a blonde and a pink haired girl with a huge forehead, but the last girl was the one that caught his attention. It was the girl he had bumped into earlier! They all sat together in the first row of bleachers.

As the last group of kids strolled in, the chunin slid the doors closed, went to the front of the class and introduced himself.

"My name," He said in a strict but kind voice, "is Umino Iruka, and I will your sensei for four years in Konoha's Ninja Academy."

* * *

When Naruto had dreamed about the academy the night before, he dreamt of practical skills and learning about the shinobi arts physically. But right after everyone in the class introduced themselves, Iruka started the class with lectures about the proper usage of shinobi skills and blah blah blah blah blah… He listened, but he couldn't help but groan when he realized the practical physical stuff would only come later when they were ten. Hinata, the name of the girl in the row below him, giggled shyly at his antics. 

'_At least there's a lunch break and recess,' _he thought to himself, as he ate alone under the tree. The other kids immediately had gathered in groups as soon as recess had started. He and the emo, whose name he found out was Sasuke, were the only ones that ate alone. Naruto was inwardly jealous as he watched the other kids playing at the playground. But he just schooled his expression into a neutral one.

Hinata saw Naruto sitting alone at the tree; she had been the one who had sent him the light blue goggles he wore now, and was trying to muster up the courage to talk to him now. But she failed and sadly watched him as he ate his lunch alone.

'_I'm sorry Naruto-kun.'_

At the end of class, Naruto watched as all the kids were picked up by their parents. He couldn't control his emotions any more and scowled with envy at the happy sounds the others made as they were carried off by their parents.

Iruka noticed Naruto's expression. He had been an orphan all his life because of the Kyuubi rampage eight years ago, knew what Naruto was feeling despite his neutral expression. He sat down next to Naruto,

"It hurts doesn't it?" he said gradually.

Naruto started quickly, he hadn't noticed Iruka in the midst of his feelings.

Naruto looked a his sensei distrustfully,

"How would you know?" He said softly.

Iruka knew the pain of being alone, because he had lived without his parents for years. He could recognize the same thing in Naruto's eyes.

"I would know," He started. "Because I lived alone without any family, they were killed trying to defend the village from the Kyuubi. I can see that pain within you, because I had it for a long time, and still do actually."

Naruto sighed as he stared at the ground.

"How do you deal with it?" He asked.

Iruka smiled, he knew he had broken through Naruto's distrust, albeit slightly.

"At first," he said. "I became the class clown, always seeking attention no matter what type it was. I would do anything to have some one acknowledge me." I'm surprised you didn't do the same."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, he stated: "I'm too angry at the villager's to want their attention."

"Why's that?" Iruka asked.

Looking down at the ground Naruto informed Iruka about Konoha's mistreatment.

"For some reason the villagers always glare at me and beat me, and I wish I knew why!"

Iruka's eyes widened. Looking at the three whisker marks on Naruto's cheeks, how could he have not realized that he was looking at the Kyuubi's vessel! But he quickly squashed the expression on his face. He knew from the Sandaime that Naruto was only a container, but he decided he would befriend Naruto and see for himself. He had an idea.

"Naruto, do you want to come to Ichiraku Ramen with me?"

Naruto hesitated to answer; he was still apprehensive about trusting his sensei, but he didn't want to be alone anymore and decided he would take the leap of faith.

"Sure."

* * *

Terms & Jutsu: 

_Inuzuka Clan: A family of ninja in Konoha that partner up with dogs to fight in their battles. They have a great sense of smell._

_Chunin: Journeymen ninja. They are in the middle in the shinobi hierarchy and are given tougher missions than genin._

* * *

Author's Note: Please Review 


	6. You Again!

**Chapter 5: You again!**

* * *

**Last Chapter: **

_Iruka's eyes widened. Looking at the three whisker marks on Naruto's cheeks, how could he have not realized that he was looking at the Kyuubi's vessel! But he quickly squashed the expression on his face. He knew from the Sandaime that Naruto was only a container, but he decided he would befriend Naruto and see for himself. He had an idea._

"_Naruto, do you want to come to Ichiraku Ramen with me?"_

_Naruto hesitated to answer; he was still apprehensive about trusting his sensei, but he didn't want to be alone anymore and decided he would take the leap of faith._

"_Sure."_

* * *

A month had passed since Naruto chosen to trust Iruka, and he didn't regret his choice. Between the hours in class, at the training fields and Iruka's missions, Naruto and Iruka could be seen slurping noodles together at Ichiraku Ramen. They had developed a sort of father-son relationship and Naruto couldn't be happier. Naruto's friendship had also changed his attitude too. He wasn't as uncaring as he was before. But he was still hesitant to start conversations or talk to people. In fact the only real friend he had made at the academy was pineapple haired Nara Shikimaru. He was on a first name basis with most of the boys but Shikamaru was the only part of the group of four boys he confided his thoughts with. 

Naruto chuckled as he thought of the Nara. Shikamaru had to be the laziest s.o.b he had ever met. His idea of a past time would be lying sprawled on the grass watching clouds. Even though he was so lazy, he and Naruto shared similar traits. They both barely talked except when they had to or when spoken to and more importantly they both loved shogi, even though the Nara was way better than Naruto.

Currently, Naruto was going to Training Field 7 to practice his taijutsu. Usually he would go to class, spend some time with Iruka-sensei, than he would play shogi with Shikamaru and his friends and than practice his chakra control and some taijutsu.But today neither Iruka nor Shikamaru were available, so he decided to train in some basic academy taijutsu routines. When arrived at the field he saw the bowl cut shinobi he had met the month before! Except this time he had company. The other ninja had silver hair that splayed sideways across the top of his head, oddly his hiate or forehead protector concealed his right eye. He had on typical shinobi clothes with a jonin flak jacket and a half face mask on. Presently Gai and the silver haired ninja were really going at each other with taijutsu.

Naruto was amazed; the speeds at which they were hitting and blocking were so swift that Naruto couldn't hope to follow with his eyes. Their limbs looked like blurs as they exchanged hits. Naruto kept watching, enjoying the show.

Hatake Kakashi detected Naruto before Gai did. He motioned for Gai to stop.

"Gai, we have company."

"YOSH, OUR FLAME OF YOUTH HAS ATTRACTED AN AUDIENCE!!!!"

Kakashi rolled his left eye at his rival's antics, made a hand seal, and promptly reappeared behind Naruto.

To Naruto, it looked like the silver haired ninja had vanished off the face of the earth.

"What do you want?" Kakashi breathed out behind Naruto.

Startled Naruto turned around sharply with wide eyes.

"How'd you do that?" Was all Naruto managed to say.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," Naruto could tell the ninja was amused by the shape of his eyes. They were both closed and crinkled with mirth.

Gai interrupted the pair's conversation with a bang.

"NARUTO, WHAT BRINGS YOUR YOUTHFUL FIRE TO THE TRAINING FIELDS OF KONOHA!!"

"I was going to practice my taijutsu."

As soon as he saw the look of rapture on Gai's face he knew he should've kept his mouth shut, in the background Kakashi snickered. As Gai's self-proclaimed rival he knew how much Gai loved anything to do with taijutsu.

* * *

Naruto was lying on his futon trying to bear the fact that his whole body felt like one big ache. The instant Gai had learned that Naruto was interested in taijutsu, he immediately set out to teach him about the finer workings of the art. When he saw how bad the blond's form was, he made it his life goal to raise Naruto up to his standards. Kakashi, the other ninja, hadn't been any help. In fact, all he did was whip out this brightly colored book with a man chasing a woman on the cover, and started giggling like a girl; it would have been comical to watch if he hadn't been busy with Gai. Naruto recalled the session with Gai painfully: 

_Naruto got into his regular stance and began his taijutsu routine. Gai immediately stopped him with yell. _

"_NARUTO, YOUR TAIJUTSU IS SO UNYOUTHFUL, BUT DO NOT BE ASHAMED; I, THE PRIDEFUL GREEN BEAST OF KONOHA WILL HELP YOU!!!' _

"_Oh that's okay, really, you don't have to." Naruto said anxiously. He wasn't excited about having Gai for a taijutsu instructor. 'He's too …eccentric, yeah that's the word.' Naruto thought. _

"_Nonsense," Gai wouldn't hear of it, "put this gravity belt on and I the taijutsu master of Konoha will teach you the art of the _**_Taikyokuken (Grand Ultimate Fist) and the Shuurai Fi-to!(Lightning Strike Foot)_**

**(AN: I made up the ****_Shuurai Ashi, _****but the ****_Taikyokuken _****is an actual style.**

_Whether Naruto wanted to or not, he found himself learning the two martial art styles._

_At the end of the five hour session Gai sent Naruto off with his gravity belt. Gai energetically explained how the gravity belt was really how he became a taijutsu master. "NARUTO, THIS GRAVITY BELT IS MY ULTIMATE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH!!! IF YOU WEAR IT AND BECOME MY STUDENT IN THE WAY OF THE TAIKYOKUKEN AND THE SHUURAI FI-TO, YOUR FLAME WILL BURN BRIGHTLY WITH YOUTH!!_

* * *

The only reason Naruto had agreed to become Gai's unofficial student and wear the belt was because he had seen how fast Gai was (and because Gai wouldn't shut up about how bad his taijutsu was). The way Gai fought was powerful yet swift, resilient yet agile. If he could accomplish Gai's level of proficiency when he was older he'd be one of the best shinobi around. 

'_And it's all thanks to the Gravity Belt.'_

Naruto struggled to look down at his waste and examine the gravity belt Gai had made for him. It was nothing special at first glance, just an ordinary blue cloth belt with attachments where a forehead protector could be placed. But when examined further he could see an elaborate seal with chakra veins running through the belt. The belt utilized the chakra of the user to weight them down, surrounding them in a coat of dense chakra. The amount of chakra pumped into the belt equaled the power the belt had on the gravity surrounding the user. Right now the belt was at two time's normal gravity and Naruto felt like shit.

"What did I get my self into? He had no idea.

* * *

When Naruto woke up the next day, he felt good, really good! 

'_Looks like I got used to the extra gravity.' _ Naruto went through his morning routine, put on his light blue goggles and went out the door. On his way to the Academy he saw Kakashi lying on a tree limb sleeping and chuckled. When he entered the classroom he was greeted with a nod by Shikamaru and the kid with the feral visage whose name was Inuzuka Kiba. He took a seat next Shikamaru, and they both slept the class away.

During the lunch break/recess he met up with Shikamaru played some shogi. It was one of the few times he had a remote chance of wining and he had a look of total concentration on his face. Shikamaru sat looking bored across from him and it annoyed him to no end.

"You're so troublesome Naruto, you know as well as I do that you can't win this game.

"Be quiet Shika." Shikamaru just smirked.

After the game, which he lost, he went to train with Gai. But when he arrived there was another kid with him.

"Who's this Super Brows-sensei?"

"YOSH, NARUTO IS HERE, LEE MEET NARUTO, NARUTO MEET LEE!!!" Gai answered.

Naruto looked at Lee. He had bushy eyebrows like Gai and eyes like Gai to; in fact Gai and Lee looked similar enough to be related.

"Are you two related?"

"I wish that were so, but no Lee is not related."

At this statement Lee was touched.

"Gai-sensei you really wish that we were related?"

"Yes Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

A sunset with crashing surfs on a rocky beach suddenly appeared behind them, they cried and embraced each other.

'_I didn't see any hand seals, where the hell did that genjutsu come from?' _Naruto thought. He slowly backed away from the disturbing scene in front of him.

* * *

For the next three and a half years, Naruto attended the ninja academy and trained with Gai and Lee. As Gai's unofficial student his muscular strength and density had increased, currently his gravity belt was at 6 times normal gravity, Gai-sensei's was at 50 times normal gravity and Lee's was at 3 times normal gravity; Lee got Gai to change the gravity belts settings since he couldn't mold chakra. Naruto had also become quite proficient at _Taikyokuken _and _Shuurai Fi-to._ When Lee and Naruto sparred with each other at the end of the training sessions, they would flip and perform acrobatics in combat. 

He also received some reluctant help from Kakashi with ninjutsu. While he was being taught Kawarimi no Jutsu, Henge no Jutsu and Bunshin no Jutsu at the academy, occasionally Kakashi would be at the training fields. Naruto would pester Kakashi for hours until he gave in and offer him a useful jutsu to learn and master. They weren't much more than C-rank, but they were more handy than the regular academy jutsu. He had presently pried the scrolls of the Shunshin no Jutsu, the Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu and the Kirigakure no Jutsu from Kakashi. But Naruto had problems with chakra control and he wanted to know what was wrong.

In his apartment he sat down on his futon closed his eyes and reached for his elusive chakra. When he got hold of the amount he desired he grunted with exertion and tried to mold it. As it came up and out his tenketsu or chakra points, the chakra abruptly became more potent. The normally calm chakra he had seconds ago suddenly became super charged and too unruly to control. It seemed every time he grasped for his chakra, there would be a surge of this extra chakra he didn't want! Naruto would end up over powering his ninjutsu and chakra would flare every where. Other ninja his age had problems with too little chakra but he had too much! Chakra wasn't supposed be that volatile. Naruto brooded on his futon trying to contemplate why his chakra was so hyperactive, but no ideas came and he chose to get outside but trustworthy help. He decided he would go to Oji-san to get help with his problem; Iruka-sensei was out on a mission.

Naruto leapt across the rooftops, towards the Hokage Tower. He knew if anyone could help him with his chakra system it would be Oji-san. He weaved past the chunin secretary and bust through the door. Like many times before, when Naruto busted through the big doors to the Hokage's office, he interrupted a conversation. The Sandaime was with the Jiraiya, the same man he had seen years before! He still possessed a shaggy mane of long white hair, and the red and green clothing, with red markings on his face.

"Naruto, what did I tell you about barging into a room unannounced."

"Heh, sorry Oji-san," Naruto said sheepishly.

'_Whoa, Déjà vu' _Naruto recalled this same scene four years ago.

"Sensei, does this happen all the time?" Jiraiya had spoken up in a deep mocking voice.

Sarutobi chuckled, "only with Naruto,"

"Oji-san," Naruto started "There's something wrong with my chakra."

The Sandaime and Jiraiya both tensed at this

"What's wrong Naruto?"

"Anytime I reach into my chakra coils for chakra, I get more than I need. It feels as if my chakra is too powerful to control."

Jiraiya and Sarutobi glanced nervously at each other.

Jiraiya swore silently to himself "I knew this day would come."

* * *

_AN: Now that jutsu are being named, I'm gonna lay down the ranking from weakest to strongest of jutsu according to letter: _

_**D-rank**: Literally every shinobi of any village should know these supplementary jutsu. They are easy to learn but very weak compared to other stronger techniques. These jutsu are taught in Ninja academies for genin level shinobi. Some of these jutsu, like the Shunshin, may change rank because of how useful they are. The reason they may be ranked higher is because as the amount of chakra increases so does their power.  
_

_**C-rank**: These techniques are a bit harder to learn and require more chakra than a genin fresh out of the academy should have, but many genin are strong enough to use these at least once. The reason they are ranked higher is because thay introduce control of fire, water, earth, or electricity, also they can usually inflict direct harm upon the opponent._

_**B-rank**: Techniques requiring a lot of chakra and control, these jutsu are not recommended for genin or chunin. The are difficult to learn and hard to master. But once mastered they can be a deadly addition to a shinobi's arsenal. _

_**A-rank**: Jutsu labeled in this class are hard for most jonin to learn, and are usually made by kage, and sanin. They require either massive amounts of chakra or precise chakra control, which few shinobi possess._

_**S-rank**: Most of these techniques are only used by the creator and not recommended to be taught to anyone, even kage. These jutsu are the cream of the crop in terms of fatality and power. Most kage find a hard time using these jutsu even if they have learned them. There are exceptions, some are labeled S-rank because of how deadly they are, like the Hiraishin no Jutsu. They might not take a lot of chakra (compared to other S-rank jutsu) but are so deadly in their use they are S-ranked any way._

_**Terms & Jutsu**_

_**Jonin:**_ _The highest official rank other than kage, these shinobi are the best of the best. After a couple years in service as jonin, they usually take three fresh academy graduates to teach and train.**  
**_

_**Shogi**__: A Japanese board game, equivalent to the English Chess game._

_**Kawarimi no Jutsu: **_

_Name:__ L__iterally__ "Body Replacement Technique."_

_Type:__ D-rank, Supplementary_

_This jutsu lets the user instantly switch places with another nearby object, such as a plant (in the manga it is normally a section of a log), an animal, or even another person within reach, leaving the opponent open to a counter-attack. Explosive tags can be attached to the replacement for an added surprise. Fundamentally, all ninja know this technique._

_**Henge no Jutsu: **_

_Name:__ L__iterally__ "Transformation Technique."_

_Type:__ D-rank, Supplementary_

_This jutsu allows the user to assume the appearance of another person, animal, or object. This is one of the basic jutsu taught at the Konoha Ninja Academy. Fundamentally, all ninja know this jutsu._

_**Bunshin no Jutsu: **_

_Name:__ L__iterally__ "Clone Technique."_

_Type:__ D-rank, Supplementary_

_This technique creates intangible clones of the user. The clones are simply illusions and will dissipate when they come into contact with something. The illusions can be seen through by the Byakugan and the Sharingan. A person with normal eyes can also distinguish the clones from the original, since the clones will not disrupt the area around themselves with their movement (won't kick up dust, crush grass, etc._

_**Shunshin no Jutsu: **_

_Name:__ L__iterally__ "Body Flicker Technique"_

_Type:__ D-rank to B-rank, Supplementary_

_This jutsu is a high-speed movement technique, allowing a ninja to move short distances at an almost untraceable speed. To an observer, it appears as if the user has teleported. A puff of smoke is occasionally used to disguise the user's movements. It is accomplished by using chakra to temporarily boost the user's reflexes. This jutsu gets stronger as the amount of chakra pumped into it increases. The amount of chakra required depends on the overall distance between the user and their intended destination._

_The Body Flicker technique has various variations among the different hidden villages, all of which involve some extra element aside from the movement itself. The extra element is usually some sort of substance used to distract the opponent, such as leaves or sand. _

_**Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu: **_

_Name:__Literally__ "Earth Release: Inner Decapitation Technique."_

_Type:__ D-rank, Supplementary, Short range._

_The user, emerging from the ground below the target area, pulls down the opponent so that only their head is above ground._

_**Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu: **_

_Name:__ L__iterally__ "Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique."_

_Type:__ D-rank to B-rank (Depending on how much chakra you use and how thick the mist is), Supplementary_

_This jutsu envelops the surrounding area in a dense mist, reducing visibility within the affected area. The density can be controlled by the user, allowing them to create a mist so thick that even they can't see through it._

* * *

_Author's Note: Please Review_


	7. A Biju & his Jinchuriki

**Chapter 6: A Bijuu and his Jinchuriki**

* * *

**Last Time:**

"_Oji-san," Naruto started "There's something wrong with my chakra."_

_The Sandaime and Jiraiya both tensed at this_

"_What's wrong Naruto?" _

"_Anytime I reach into my chakra coils for chakra, I get more than I need. It feels as if my chakra is too powerful to control." _

_Jiraiya and Sarutobi glanced nervously at each other._

"_I knew this day would come." Jiraiya muttered._

* * *

Konohagakure no Sato, the "Village Hidden in the Leaves," is one of the five great ninja villages. Although Konoha has been peaceful for the past decade, it continues to be one of the most powerful villages in existence, with an overall ninja population much greater than that of any other village, and therefore has vast military power and prestige. As such, it is one of five villages with a kage as its leader, Konoha's kage is known as the Hokage. On a rock mountain overlooking the villages, the faces of every Hokage are carved into the precipice. Konoha has had five Hokages since the Shodaime Hokage founded the village 60 years before Naruto was born. The Hokages are the strongest shinobi of Konoha, and they also act as the leaders of the village. 

Of Konoha's Hokage, The Sandaime Hokage was one of the most skillful in terms of ninjutsu. The Third was called "The Professor" due to his vast knowledge of ninjutsu, reported to knowing all the jutsu within Konoha. Due to the long life he has lived, the Third serves as a fount of wisdom for all, passing on the experience he has learned to the next generation. As Hokage he has also acquired a habit of attempting to end things peacefully, and does what he can to avoid bloodshed amongst his allies and his enemies. The Third is one of the few people who see Naruto Uzumaki as more than the container of the demon fox, and as such becomes someone that Naruto truly admires.

At the present, all of that seemed useless to Sarutobi. Even though the Sandaime was overflowing with knowledge and experience, he struggled to find way to tell Naruto what was in his mind. With a methodical and drawn-out start he explained to Naruto why his chakra control was problematic. After he sealed the sound to stay within the office, he started with a description of the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

"Through out the history of the hidden shinobi villages, nothing struck more terror or panic as the nine elemental biju."

"The nine biju or tailed beasts are massive demons, each of which was of similar size to Gamabunta, who has a height of at least 100 meters. They each have a different number of tails, with one being the weakest, nine being the strongest, and each is a different type of creature. Compared to humans, the tailed beasts possess a massive amount of chakra, and with their chakra alone they could kill. The weakest of biju, Shukaku, the one tailed tanuki, possessed a chakra level several times that of any human.

But one biju had the most. In fact, this being had more chakra than the eight under it combined. The nine-tailed fox's chakra was practically limitless. With its colossal killing intent, it put fear in both humans and demons alike. No one in the elementals was as powerful or dreaded as the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The nine-tailed demon fox was a truly powerful beast; a single swipe of one of its nine tails could raise tsunamis and crush mountains.

One day the demon fox attacked Konohagakure. No one in the village knew why it attacked our peaceful village. But our ninja knew only one thing, their home and families were being threatened, and they rushed to protect the village. It was all for naught however. The demon had near-immeasurable chakra and incredible strength. Most of the shinobi who defended the village against the fox were annihilated. But there was still hope. The Yondaime Hokage, Konoha's Yellow Flash had a plan. The Fourth defeated the demon away, saving Konoha from imminent destruction. But such heroics weren't without a price and the Yondaime sacrificed his own life to do so."

Naruto looked at the Sandaime, very confused.

"I, I don't understand Oji-san, I've already heard this from Iruka-sensei."

"I know you have Naruto, I was the one who made that story up."

"Made it up? What do you mean Oji-san?"

"Exactly what I said Naruto, the tale you know now is a fabrication, a lie."

"A lie?"

"Yes Naruto, Do you really think a demon like the Kyuubi no Kitsune, one with almost limitless chakra and godly strength, could be conquered by one man, no matter how strong?

"Well, not really." Naruto started "But why would you lie Oji-san?"

"I lied for a certain someone, a jinchuriki" Sarutobi paused at this statement looking hard at Naruto.

"Heh?" Naruto balked "what's a jinchuriki?"

Jiraiya chose to interrupt their dialogue with a rumbling but kind voice.

"Those within whom a tailed beast has been sealed within are called _jinchūriki_ or simply hosts, and they demonstrate exceptional powers. During the Great Shinobi Wars, each country's Hidden Village tried to make use of the tailed beasts for military purposes, and competed for them. However, no one was ever able to truly bring the tailed beasts under control, with the _jinchūriki_ being only a marginal success."

Naruto exchanged glances between Jiraiya and the Sandaime.

"Wh… Why are you telling me all this? What does it have to do with my chakra?

"It has almost everything to do with your chakra," said Jiraiya.

Jiraiya gazed intently into Naruto's eyes. "When the Yondaime faced Kyuubi atop Gamabunta he defeated Kyuubi, yes, but he did not destroy it like most people in Konoha believe. He instead did the only thing he could. He sealed the demon away in a host a newborn child."

At first Naruto had wanted to ask who that child was, but he already knew the answer. As soon as Jiraiya had started about jinchuriki and demon sealing he already had an inkling of what Sarutobi was trying to get across to him. To say that Naruto's world was crashing down upon him would be like saying Gai was weird. As he reflected back on his past, he realized that what Oji-san was saying was the truth.

'_So,'_ Naruto angrily thought to himself. _'I am the host of the Kyuubi no Kitsune.'_

* * *

Naruto laid sprawled on his futon, he struggling to sleep, but it didn't seem to be coming easily. It was to be expected, bearing in mind the events that had taken place in the Sandaime's office. It wasn't every day that you learned that you had the Kyuubi no Kitsune trapped inside your chakra coils. 

In a way, it wasn't as surprising as it should have been, at least to most other people. In fact, it almost made him relieved. It explained so much about the cruelty and mistreatment he received from the villagers, the living hell that was his miserable existence. All the glares and torment. Sure Naruto was relieved, he now knew what the villager's were thinking when they sought destroy the psyche of a young child. But that did not mean he wasn't angry either. In fact, his brain was overflowing with so many emotions he almost couldn't breathe. He sighed.

Naruto stared out his window at the mountain precipice chiseled with the Hokage's faces. It was already almost sun up the next day, and he let out yet another sigh. He had lain on his futon thinking for almost ten hours. The more he contemplated what Sarutobi had told him, the more he became irritated, and actually more murderously incensed with the village. It wasn't a good train of thought for someone who was a shinobi.

But he was angry, damn it! Seething, fuming, and gnashing his teeth so angry. He couldn't believe the village knew that he was the Kyuubi's vessel. They knew that the Kyuubi was sealed into Naruto, that he wasn't the kitsune reincarnated. Yet they still treated him like trash. No, they treated him worse than trash. When people take out the garbage they wrap it up and process it, and some time's it's recycled! What Konoha did was worse. They would spit on him as they hammered him to the ground.

Thrusting away that train of thought, Naruto focused on the conversation he had with Oji-san. The meeting with Sarutobi and Jiraiya hadn't been all that bad, at least after he had grudgingly accepted what they told him.

* * *

_Flashback:_

_Jiraiya and the Sandaime stared long and hard at Naruto. Sarutobi walked up and gave Naruto a hug. It seemed like the best thing to do when he saw Naruto's eyes filling up._

"_Oji-san," Naruto sobbed out. "Is it true? Am I really a jinchuriki?_

"_Yes, Naruto. But know one thing, me, Iruka and Jiraiya see you as Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. And don't you ever forget that. Sarutobi looked down at Naruto. "Do you understand?"_

_Naruto's damp eyes widened. He hadn't realized that Iruka-sensei was an adult and there fore knew the truth about Kyubi. But then, an emotional smile graced his face. Iruka-sensei knew but didn't care!_

_Sarutobi saw that his consoling had worked._

"_Naruto, you said you had a problem with your chakra. I want you to meet Jiraiya at Training Field 7 tomorrow morning at eight thirty; he'll know how to best fix you up."_

_Naruto looked up at his Oji-san, "Can I trust Jiraiya-san?"_

_Jiraiya had a smile on his face. "Am I trustworthy?" "Gaki, I'm one of the old man's students!"_

_When Naruto looked questioningly at the Hokage, Sarutobi nodded reassuringly._

"_I would trust him with both our lives."_

* * *

Naruto sighed again. The more and more he thought about it, the fewer reasons there were for him to even be in Konoha, let alone being a shinobi, except for what Oji-san had reminded him of. But he knew he wouldn't leave even if he hadn't been reminded. First of all, he couldn't leave Iruka-sensei; his bond with the pineapple headed chunin was almost relational. What's more, his training with Gai was too good to pass up, even if Gai was strange. Although he wouldn't leave the village and would remain a ninja, that didn't necessarily mean that he would fight to protect the village though. There was no real reason for him to protect any one older than eighteen in Konoha. No, instead he would become a ninja to protect his precious people or kids of his generation. His precious people included the Sandaime, followed closely by old man Ichiraku and his daughter, Iruka and followed very, very distantly by Gai and Lee. They were just too strange. 

Naruto glanced at his alarm clock, it was almost five in the morning now, and in three and a half hours he would be with Jiraiya at the training fields. He needed sleep, and he needed it badly. He had to be clear headed enough to mold his chakra for Jiraiya when he asked. Naruto thought about the meeting he would have with the sannin later. He tried to think of what Jiraiya would ask him to do and how he'd fix him up, but drew blank.

He also tried to sleep again but that didn't work either.

Naruto remembered once something Iruka-sensei had said about meditating at Ichiraku Ramen. _"I find that if I can't sleep, meditating usually does the trick." _If he couldn't find sleep then maybe meditation would. He sat up, and positioned himself with his legs tucked into each other. He shut his eyelids, and began to breathe in and out. All he knew was that you had to close your eyes, and do something like centering yourself, or calming yourself, or whatever. Naruto had absolutely no idea what the hell that meant, Iruka-sensei hadn't really explained meditation well.

For about thirty minutes Naruto sat there trying to find his center. He tried humming, he had see monks do the same on TV. But he ended up just feeling like an idiot. Than Naruto had an idea. Maybe he could push his chakra through his tenketsu, not mold it but circulate it through his coils. As he felt the chakra flow through his system, he started to feel calmer and his turmoiled mind became more tranquil.

His train of thought was interrupted with a flash of red chakra coming from his stomach. Before he could even shout out in surprise, a burst of pain like he had never felt before erupted from his brain. And Naruto was used to pain, either from the villagers or Gai. But it felt like someone had implanted a magnet in his brain and thousands of searing hot metal senbon needles were trying to penetrate it. With a whimper, Naruto passed out on his futon and into blessed comatose.

* * *

_**Terms & Jutsu:**_

_**Shodaime Hokage**: First Fire Shadow, founder of Konoha._

_**Sannin**: Sannin are the three S-class ninja who have gained power far beyond an average Jonin and earned a legendary status. This title is merely a unofficial name rather than an actual rank; the ninja's official rank with a village will still be Jonin. __These ninja are often highly revered and usually signified by nicknames allies or enemies give them. The group of ninja who have gained this special status are the "Legendary Three Ninja" of Konoha: Jiraiya the "Toad Hermit", Orochimaru, and Tsunade the "Legendary Sucker." __The allegiances of these ninja range from being part of the village's own ninja to being wandering ninja who are still loyal to their village, like Jiraiya._

* * *

Authors's Note: Please Review 


	8. Meet The Kyuubi no Kitsune

**Author's Note: I am planning on having pairings, but don't expect me to write too much romance, it's not really my thing.  
**

**Pairings:**

**Naruto & Hinata**

**Sasuke & Sakura**

**Shikamaru & Temari**

**Those will be my only pairings for now; I don't know what I'll be doing for the other characters, so if you have any ideas just reply.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Kyuubi no Kitsune**

**Last Chapter: **_His train of thought was interrupted with a flash of red chakra coming from his stomach. Before he could even shout out in surprise, a burst of pain like he had never felt before erupted from his brain, and Naruto was used to pain, either from the villagers or Gai. But it felt like some had implanted a magnet in his brain and thousands of searing hot metal senbon needles were trying to penetrate through his brain. With a whimper, Naruto passed out on his futon and into blessed comatose._

* * *

When Naruto came to, the first thing that came to his mind was how wet he was. In fact his whole body was soaked. 

'_Why the hell, am I drenched?'_

Naruto opened his eyes and gazed wearily at his surroundings, the after effects of the pain he had felt made his body ache with soreness. He was currently lying on a rock smoothed by the sea foam, with waves colliding in front of him. When he realized where he was his face was gob smacked. He was lying on a beach! He flinched as the spray from the surf crashed onto his face. Naruto slowly got up with a grunt; he looked around trying to get his bearings.

'_I'm definitely not in Konoha.' _Naruto was right, in fact too right. Although he didn't know it, he wasn't even in the same dimension.

Naruto leapt off the slick wet boulder and fell as he attempted to land on his on feet. Naruto lay on the sand, hot from the sweltering sun, cursing his tired limbs. He decided he would wait for a bit. When he deemed himself ready, he tried to get up, it was hard but he finally teetered to his feet. Naruto turned to face the large body of water behind him. He gazed at the ocean and saw that it went all the way around and behind his line of sight. It looked as if the place was surrounded by ocean so he guessed that it was an island. Both wonder and confusion racked his mind. He had been meditating on his futon and now he was on an island in what looked like the middle of nowhere.

Suddenly a deep cavernous voice echoed in his head. It sounded ancient and arcane, resonant with years of experience; but it also sounded amused, as if Naruto's presence was humorous. It called to Naruto, beckoning.

"**COME MY LITTLE JINCHURIKI, FOLLOW MY VOICE TO THE CENTER OF THIS ISLAND, AND YOU SHALL FIND WHAT YOU SEEK."**

'_Find what I seek?' _By now Naruto was very perplexed. As far is he knew, the only thing he had been looking for on his futon was rest. Why in Kami's name was he on a deserted island in the middle of no where listening to thousand year old voices? The one had heard sure wasn't young and it didn't come from a human either. Even though the language was human, its tone was feral and the ambience was bestial. It made him want to cower and hide, not draw closer.

Naruto's head perked up, He had heard the voice again, and this time it wasn't as amused as before.

"**FOLLOW MY VOICE HUMAN!"**

"Alright, alright I'm coming!" Naruto yelled out loud. "No need to be so irritable," he muttered.

'**I HEARD THAT HUMAN."**

Naruto just rolled his eyes and set off towards the tropical forest in center of the small island.

When Naruto stepped towards the undergrowth he peered at the thick foliage. It looked impassable. The plants grew so close together, he didn't see how he could get through. Just as he was about to complain to the voice in his head, (AN: Lol, Naruto is crazy) the foliage separated. An earthy path emerged from the ground and led inside the dense rainforest.

"Tallyho." Naruto said to himself, and with that he stepped onto the trail and towards the center of the forest.

Naruto was sweating buckets by the time five minutes had passed. Even though it wasn't much warmer than fire country, it was so humid! He could see the steam rising off the green ferns and the vibrant petals on the ground. Naruto trudged on; wary of an animal's that might attack. But they seemed to be keeping their distance. Naruto raised his head and looked up at the sky…or not. He couldn't even see the sky; it was blocked by the broad tree leaves. Naruto moved on. After an hour of walking, there was finally a clearing in his sight. Naruto was surprised when he saw what was in the clearing. It was a cave, or at least the opening.

"**ENTER, UZUMAKI."** It was the voice again.

This was getting absurd to Naruto; he was listening to who knows what in his head. Oji-san had told him to never listen to strangers and the voice in his head definitely went into the category of strange things.

"Why am I doing this?" The voice answered back, and instead of his head it came from the cave.

"**YOU HAVE NO CHOICE UZUMAKI, IF YOU DON'T DO WHAT I SAY YOU WILL NOT FIND YOUR WAY HOME."**

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you." Naruto had to admit that the voice was right. With a grudging sigh, he stepped into the dark cavern.

* * *

The water off stalactites dripped around Naruto as he strolled through the cool, dank cavern. Even though the cave was pretty large it only led in one direction. Naruto peered at the ground. There was a peculiar mist swirling around his legs. That was another thing to add to his long list of odd stuff. Naruto just shook his head and moved on. The mist started to rise and get thicker and thicker. He swished his arms, trying to see in front of him. 

When the mist finally parted, what he saw nearly made him faint. An ENORMOUS fox was staring intently him. It had shimmering red fur the color of blood. When he looked at its mouth, Naruto couldn't tell whether it was grinning or just growling at him. He could see the glaringly white teeth in neat rows along the foxes jaw. Naruto just stood there. His mind was telling him to run as fast as he could, but his muscles were frozen with fear. The kitsune's malicious smile widened. Naruto gazed at his red eyes and then shuddered, afraid and bewitched by the demon's eyes at the same time. After what seemed a lifetime of the two just staring, the frightening visage broke the stalemate and began laughing. It was a deep, bellowing laugh that was utterly the most malevolent thing Naruto had ever heard, and yet it suggested a mischievous and jesting tone to it that was quite hard to ignore. Naruto was…petrified, to say the least. He was about to voice his bewilderment to the giant kitsune, when the fox interrupted, its voice was deep and it shook the foundations of the cave.

"**THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE WAS ABSOLUTELY ****PRICELESS****, KID. I HAVEN'T SEEN A LOOK LIKE THAT ON ANYONE'S FACE FOR A LONG TIME."**

Naruto was even more puzzled…if that was possible, and was about to speak up, when he was interrupted…for the second time. The fox had no mirth in his voice this time however, and its tone was now all business.

"**SO, WE FINALLY MEET UZUMAKI, ****NO DOUBT YOU'RE WONDERING JUST WHERE THE HELL YOU ARE, WHO I AM, AND WHY YOU ARE HERE. I WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AND MORE… I AM THE KYUUBI NO KITSUNE, THE NINE TAILED FOX AND THE ISLAND AND THE SURROUNDING OCEAN IS THE PHYSICAL REPRESENTATION OF YOUR MIND."**

Here, the fox halted briefly in reflection. Naruto waited for quite some time and allowed the first bit of information to sink in. He was talking to the Kyuubi no Kitsune. What's more, he was somehow physically within his own mind. It didn't make a tremendous amount of sense, but he couldn't really chalk it up to being some sort of nightmare or anything, so, for the moment, he accepted the fox said. Naruto waited for the fox to begin again, but when it seemed as though no explanation was forthcoming, he decided to take the initiative, and this time, he was not going to be interrupted.

"Well?! Aren't you going explain further, how the hell is my mind an island?" Naruto gave the fox his best withering glare, but against something that stunkof malevolence like this, it didn't really do much. Not to mention the fact that the fox looked even more amused than he did before.

"**IMPATIENT, AREN'T WE? THEN AGAIN, WHEN YOU HAVE THE NON- EXISTANT LIFE OF A HUMAN, I SUPPOSE THAT YOU ****WOULD**** BE. I WOULD NOT WORRY UZUMAKI. ALTHOUGH YOU'RE TALKING TO ME IN HERE, THE TIME THAT IS PASSING OUT ****THERE**** IN THE REAL WORLD IS GOING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SLOWLY THAN IT IS IN HERE. AFTER ALL, EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY BE A STUPID HUMAN, THE MIND ****DOES**** MOVE FASTER THAN THE BODY. SIMPLY PUT, NOW THAT YOU ACTUALLY ****KNOW**** OF MY EXISTENCE, IT'S TIME THAT BOTH YOU AND I ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE BEST OF OUR PARASITIC RELATIONSHIP – **

After a few moments of pondering what the Kyuubi just said, Naruto's eyes widened.

"Hey! Who the hell are you calling a parasite! You think I chose to be a – Before Naruto could finish, Kyubi bellowed with a rumbling boom,

"**YOU WOULD DO WELL TO NOT INTERRUPT ME UZUMAKI!!" **

Naruto gulped, the Kyuubi's voice was resonant with killing intent, and it washed over him like a tsunami. After a moment of tension, the Kyubi continued with a relatively much gentler tone,

"**I KNOW THAT YOU ARE A JINCHURIKI, I KNOW YOU DID NOT CHOOSE TO BE ONE EITHER, BUT WHEN YOU SPEAK TO ME, IT SHALL BE WITH RESPECT. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, UZUMAKI?"**

With wide fearful eyes, Naruto just nodded.

"**NOW WHERE WAS I? AH, YES…THE MATTER OF YOUR MIND. YOU SEE UZUMAKI, MY CHAKRA; UNLIKE YOURS HAS MANY USES OTHER THAN SUSTAINING LIFE OR DESTROYING IT. NO, MY CHAKRA, AS UNRULY AS IT IS, CAN MAKE ITS OWN DIMENSIONS. WHILE IN YOUR MIND, I REALIZED I COULD SHAPE AND FASHION IT HOWEVER I PLEASED. AS LONG AS I DID NOT ADD OR TAKE AWAY FROM IT, YOUR MIND WAS MINE TO TINKER WITH."**

At this, Naruto was very alarmed. A demon was "tinkering" with his mind!

"What the hell did you do to my mind?!"

"**YOUR MIND IS THE SAME AS IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN. BUT ITS PHYSICAL REPRESENTATION IN THIS DIMENSION CAN BE CHANGED. I DID NOT CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK OR HOW YOU ACT. YOU ARE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING, UZUMAKI."**

Even with the reassurance from Kyuubi, Naruto did not like that his mind was being tampered with… damn it, his mind was his to do with! He bristled at the thought that an ancient demon was manipulating it. But he decided he would hold his tongue for now… if there were any side effects, he would undo it, with respect or with insolence.

After Naruto thought about what Kyuubi had explained he spoke up,

"Why exactly am I here?"

"**SIMPLY PUT, I BROUGHT YOU HERE BECAUSE YOUR CONTROL OF CHAKRA IS PATHETIC, YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO SHINOBI, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO ME AS A HOST. I WILL NOT HAVE MY JINCHURIKI BE KILLED BECAUSE** **OF HIS INCOMPETENCE**. **YOU MAY HAVE ACCEPTABLE TAIJUTSU, BUT WITHOUT MY STANDARD OF CHAKRA CONTROL, YOU ARE A SAD EXCUSE FOR A NINJA."**

In all his twelve years, Naruto had never been so shot down in his life. Sure the villagers abused him…but that was because they hated him. The Kyuubi didn't hate him… at least he didn't think so, and that made the insults so much more painful. No one who didn't hate him completely had verbally abused him like the Kyuubi had done. Naruto's raging emotions then changed from pain to anger. What did the demon fox know about him and his life! From birth, his life had been a living hell and only up until the last four years had it gradually gotten better. In his foolish but righteous fury Naruto looked defiantly at Kyuubi and with a breath of air started a retort… but before a word came out, the Kyuubi interrupted him for the fifth time.

"**I SUMMONED YOU HERE TO HELP YOU."**

Naruto's was surprised. He hadn't expected the kitsune to actually offer to help him.

"Wh…What?" He stuttered out.

"**IF YOU STAY AS WEAK AS YOU ARE NOW WE WILL BOTH DIE. SO I WILL HELP YOU. BY THE TIME I AM DONE WITH YOU, YOU WILL BE UP TO MY STANDARDS.**

Naruto stood there struggling to decide what he should do. Other than Oji-san's warnings something told him if he accepted the kitsune's off his life would be changed beyond his imagination. It was nerve racking really… he had two choices, either accept help from Kyubi or remain a mediocre shinobi.

With determined look at Kyuubi he answered,

"What do I have to do?"

"**YOU HAVE MADE A WISE CHOICE UZUMAKI, BUT FOR NOW YOU DO NOTHING. FOR THE FIRST HALF OF YOUR ASSISTANCE FROM ME, I WILL ACTUALLY CHANGE THE MAKE UP OF YOUR DNA. I WILL CHANGE YOUR BLOOD FROM ONE HUNDRED PERCENT HUMAN TO EIGHTY PERCENT HUMAN AND TWENTY PERCENT DEMON."**

Naruto's sore eyes widened for what seemed like the hundredth time, Kyuubi just kept dishing out these surprises! When he had accepted help from Kyuubi, he didn't know it would be at the molecular scale, he would become part demon!

Seeing Naruto's reluctance, Kyuubi explained what would happen to him.

"**DO NOT BE FEARFUL UZUMAKI; EVEN THOUGH PART OF YOUR BLOOD SHALL BE DEMONIC IN NATURE YOUR OVERALL PERSONAILTY AND PSYCHE WILL BE MOSTLY HUMAN. YOU WILL RECEIVE MANY BENEFITS IF YOU ACCEPT MY HELP AND NO FORSEEABLE LIABILITIES. YOUR SENSES WILL INCREASE TEN FOLD, YOUR STRENGTH WILL INCREASE TWO FOLD, YOUR REFLEXES AND REACTION TIME WILL IN CREASE TOO. THE ONLY PHYSICAL CHANGE THAT WILL OCCUR WILL BE MINIMAL AND NO ONE WILL NOTICE THEM. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT SIDE EFFECT OF THE TRANSFORMATION WILL BE INCREASED CHAKRA CONTROL.**

All the things Kyuubi had said intrigued Naruto but he had been waiting to get to this part,

"How exactly will changing my blood give me better chakra control?"

"**YOU START TO SEE SENSE UZUMAKI; MY CHAKRA IS INSIDE YOU YES?"**

"Yes."

"**THE SEAL THE YONDAIME PLACED ON YOU LEAKS MY CHAKRA INTO YOURS. YOU HAVE BAD CONTROL OF YOUR CHAKRA BECAUSE IT IS INFUSED WITH MINE. FIRST OF ALL IT IS HARD TO CONTROL TWO CHAKRA AT ONCE AND IF THE SECOND IS DEMONIC IN NATURE IT IS ALL BUT IMPOSSIBLE FOR A HUMAN. THIS IS WHERE I COME IN UZUMAKI; I WILL TAKE YOUR SKELETAL STRUCTURE AND INSTEAD OF IT PRODUCING NORMAL BLOOD I WILL INFUSE MY CHAKRA INTO THE BONE MARROW, WHICH WILL MAKE YOUR BONES SLIGHTLY DEMONIC. THEREFORE INSTEAD OF MAKING REGULAR HUMAN BLOOD, YOUR BONES WILL MAKE THE TWENTY PERCENT DEMONIC BLOOD THAT WILL BE DILUTED THROUGH YOUR SYSTEM. YOUR SLIGHTLY DEMONIC CHAKRA WILL THEN RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE PART DEMON AND IT WILL OBEY YOU. **

"Huh?" Was all Naruto could say.

"**ARE ALL HUMANS THIS CLUELESS? SIMPLY PUT UZUMAKI, I WILL MAKE YOUR BONES SLIGHTLY DEMONIC SO THAT INSTEAD OF PRODUCING NORMAL BLOOD THEY WILL PRODUCE SOME MY BLOOD.**

**BECAUSE YOU HAVE MY BLOOD YOUR CHAKRA CONTROL WILL INCREASE.**

Naruto reeled at the implications of what Kyuubi had just said. Super strength, super senses and reflexes were what most shinobi could only dream of. But the best of all would be that his chakra would actually do what he wanted. Just as he was about to accept the kitsune's deal a scary thought crashed into his brain. The Kyuubi said that his bones would produce some of his blood, and some of that blood would be coursing through his veins. If he accepted the deal, he would literally become the Kyuubi no Kitsune's great grandson!

"**I SEE YOU HAVE FOUND THE SUBTLE REPERCUSSION OF YOUR TRANSFORMATION. IS IT REALLY THAT BAD UZUMAKI? OR ARE YOU JUST AFRAID? WITHOUT THIS HELP YOU SHALL REMAIN MEDIOCRE OR AT BEST BECOME LIKE YOUR FREAKISH TAIJUTSU INSTRUCTER.**

Naruto shuddered at the thought of becoming anything like Gai in the future. He decided that he would except the Kyuubi's help.

"I accept your help Kyuubi."

"**YOU HAVE CHOSEN WELL UZUMAKI, WE WILL MEET AGAIN…"**

Then the Kyuubi simply sat back and let forth a booming chuckle within the cave as Naruto exited the Kyuubi's chamber and blacked out, until sleep claimed him once again. **"YOU ARE IN FOR THE BIGGEST SURPRISE OF YOUR LIFE, MY LITTLE JINCHURIKI."** Kyuubi let loose another chuckle and proceeded to work on Naruto's body.

_As Naruto slept he did not notice the faint but shimmering red glow around his body. He did not notice that the flickering red chakra was shaping and lengthening his body and he especially did not notice the workings of the Kyuubi on his blood. In his sleep he did not sense the red masses of chakra burgeoning from the seal on his stomach to all the bones in his body. The red mass surrounded his skeleton and started to suck the human chakra out of them like a leech. After the red mass was done, it quivered and then started to infuse into the bone suffusing it with demonic power. By the time the process was done, the bones in Naruto instead of pumping out blue human blood, they pumped out red demonic blood. This demonic blood rushed through Naruto's circulatory system, changing the nature of his body. His organs became durable and resilient; his muscles expanded and became stronger, denser. When the demonic blood rushed into Naruto's head, his eyes, nose and ears changed. His eyes became slightly enlarged, the two orbs gently shuddered, not used to the demonic blood they were receiving. His eardrums also became slightly larger to catch more sound, his nose more sensitive. __When Naruto woke up, he'd be in for quite a shock._

* * *

**_Terms and Jutsu:_**

_Tallyho: Interestingly enough this phrase is a cry from a participant in a fox hunt to let others know that a fox has been sighted. It was a coincidence that I happen to think of this in my fan fiction._

_Marrow: For those who don't know marrow is the red stuff inside bones that manufacture red blood cells._

* * *

_Author's Note: Please Review _


	9. Big Changes & a Super Pervert

**Chapter 8: Big Changes & a Super Pervert  
**

**Last Chapter: **

_As Naruto slept he did not notice the faint but shimmering red glow around his body. He did not notice that the flickering red chakra was shaping and lengthening his body and he especially did not notice the workings of the Kyuubi on his blood. In his sleep he did not sense the red masses of chakra burgeoning from the seal on his stomach to his arms and feet. The red mass surrounded those bones and started to suck the human chakra out of them like a leech. After the red mass was done, it quivered and then started to infuse into the bone suffusing it with demonic power. By the time the process was done, the bones in Naruto instead of pumping out blue human blood, they pumped out red demonic blood. This demonic blood rushed through Naruto's circulatory system, changing the nature of his body. His organs became durable and resilient; his muscles expanded and became stronger, denser. When the demonic blood rushed into Naruto's head, his eyes, nose and ears changed. His eyes became slightly enlarged, the two orbs gently shuddered, not used to the demonic blood they were receiving. His eardrums also became slightly larger to catch more sound, his nose more sensitive. __When Naruto woke up, he'd be in for quite a shock._

* * *

When Naruto woke up the next day it wasn't his loud alarm clock that woke him up. Funnily enough, it was gravity. With a thump he rolled off his futon and smack into his hard wooden floor. With groan he got up and looked around… and he actually fell again doing it. Every thing was so sharp and focused. It felt like his eyes were on high definition. Before, when he looked at the floor, all he saw was, well… wood. But now he could see each and every single grain that made up the planks of oak. He closed his eyelids and shook his head, not believing his eyes. 

Naruto sat up and went about his normal daily ritual in his room. He gathered the things he needed for his shower and started to walk towards his bathroom, but then stopped again. When he glanced at the ground he noticed that it was farther away. He had definitely gotten taller. Naruto had always been short, but now he could see he had grown several inches, he was now above average height. It wasn't a big difference, maybe four and a half inches in total, but it was noticeable…especially in one night. This made him feel giddy. At the academy he had always been the topic of jokes about height… but now he was as tall as Shikamaru. A grin appeared on his face, a guy could get used to this.

As he finally trudged up to his mirror to brush his teeth he did a double take. There was something _wrong_ with his appearance. There was simply something that wasn't quite right with it, but with his sleep-addled brain, Naruto almost didn't figure it out. The Naruto staring back at him definitely wasn't the same as the one last night. To start off with, his eyes were different… it was a subtle change, but to Naruto it was unmistakable. Instead of the babyish sky blue eyes he'd always had, it was… distinctive. The color of his iris was still blue, but it was tinged with a violent purple that swam around his eyes. It made his eyes appear colder with a icy hard edge. Naruto liked it… it made him look tougher. But when he stared at the rest of his face he almost choked. The whisker marks he'd had as long as he could remember on his cheeks were fading! They were still there, but they were definitely not as prominent as they were before. They now looked like scars that were slowly healing. After he got over the fact that his whisker marks were going away, Naruto decided that he didn't mind, the marks had always made the villagers angrier if anything.

Naruto stepped into the shower and undressed, but then he noticed his muscles. They definitely weren't that big yesterday. He wasn't burly or anything like that, but his muscles now felt as dense as steel. He was now more than awake at this. He shook his head while stepping out of the shower and quickly dried himself off, and then positioned himself in front of the sink to brush his teeth and examine his face for any more surprises. Compared to the other changes these were minor, his ears were slightly pointier, but nothing noticeable by others. His canines were bigger and more feral and, wait… Naruto tilted his head to his side. What was that incessant noise? He perked his ears and tried to make something of the sound… it sounded like swishing water and knocking pipes… it was his plumbing! Naruto just chuckled, '_That's just great, I can hear my plumbing,'_ he thought ruefully. Naruto just sighed and finished his morning ritual of brushing his teeth.

Just as he was about to go out the door, the memory of what he was supposed to be doing had come crashing into his brain. Naruto anxiously looked at the clock next to his door and his eyes widened.

'_CRAP! It's almost 8:25 A.M.! I need to be there in like…five minutes! Oh Man!'_

Naruto hurriedly went to fish his attire out of his drawer of clean clothing, when, with a groan, he realized that his normal clothes were not going to fit him. They were already almost too short for him as it was, and with this newest "growth spurt"…it would be like putting on a damned wetsuit. He threw open his drawers and closet, desperately looking for something, anything that would fit him. When he opened his drawer, he realized how lucky it was that the Sandaime had decided to get clothes a size too large for his last birthday.

Naruto unpacked the clothes quickly; he randomly chose a white shirt a pair of blue shorts and blue shinobi sandals. He put on his light blue goggles, and stared at his mirror. The shorts and the shoes fit. As did the goggles…however the shirt was so damned tight that it became form-fitting. Naruto sighed. It was the only thing he had at the moment, so it'd have to do.

Naruto bounded out of his apartment and leapt for the rooftops… and missed the edge of the roof completely. Naruto nearly yelped in the air. Instead of just reaching the ledge as he had anticipated, he cleared it by 10 feet! And he hadn't used any chakra either! When he finally landed on the roof he was trembling with shock. The scary thing was that he was still wearing his gravity belt. Naruto stood there staring at his body in surprise.

'_What the hell was that? I have super muscles now?'_

When Naruto realized how incredibly useful his new found power was, he almost leapt for joy…but stopped himself, he didn't want to be 25 feet in the air again.

Naruto took a deep breath… and then released it, he stared ahead at the roof tops ahead of him. His face portrayed how determined he was to control himself… with eyes furrowed he put his right foot in front of him… tensed his muscles, and with dizzying speed leapt off his rooftop to the next.

'_This is crazy!!' _

That was the only word Naruto could describe his movements. Everything he saw was so crisp and focused when he leapt from building to building. He hardly needed to take a step to balance himself after jumping. With one touch on a roof, his leg muscles would contract and rocket him to the next. His leaps were long but precise; he could now clear two buildings without chakra! The new and improved Uzumaki Naruto bounded from rooftop to rooftop, utterly oblivious to the stares of hatred from the villagers. Today, the glares of hatred could not bring him down. He felt like true a shinobi. He was able to move more easily, think more clearly, and he felt alive. The exhilaration alone nearly made him high. Life could not get any better.

Naruto had made record time to the training fields, from his home to the academy grounds; it took him the necessary five minutes at a hard pace to reach his destination. But he would have never been able to make it without his new improvements. He landed deftly on the edge of the training fields, and began a leisurely pace towards Training Ground Seven.

* * *

Jiraiya was one of the Legendary Sannin. In his prime the only other people as strong as him were his two other teammates. Because of the three's exemplary skills, they are known as the "Legendary Three Ninja, or simply the "Sannin", while Jiraiya himself was known as the "Toad Hermit." You would think that some one with such an exemplary shinobi track record would be somewhat responsible, a proper role model. But anyone who thought that would be dead wrong. Jiraiya is a self-proclaimed super-pervert and a frequent voyeur, going so far as to spy on naked women without being caught or "research" as he calls it. He never actually hides his perversion, and even seems proud of it, he even told the Third Hokage his teacher, about it when he was still a genin. 

You would also think that as his former teacher, the Sandaime would try and get rid of Jiraiya's perverted nature. But you're dead wrong again. That's right, "The Professor," the Third Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato is a pervert too. Incidentally training ground seven was close enough to the hot springs to distract Jiraiya from what he was supposed to be doing. When Naruto finally got to the training grounds, no one was there. He looked all around him; he sniffed at the air, but got nothing. Naruto stood there feeling like an idiot for being stood up. But wait… Naruto heard giggling sounds a few yards away. He stalked closer to it, trying desperately not to alert anyone. What he saw when he got close enough annoyed him to no end.

Jiraiya, a Legendary Sannin, was crouched next a small hole just big enough for one eye to peep at the female side of the hot springs… and he was _giggling_. It was strange too. Imagine a little girl giggling insanely at her birthday or slumber party and that's the sound that was coming from the middle aged pervert. And Jiraiya was muttering to himself too, the whole scene in front of Naruto was not flattering. But then a wicked and fiendish idea struck Naruto. He crept over to the tree behind Jiraiya, using the trunk as cover. He pushed his back closer to the tree trunk and peered behind him.

'_Good, the pervert is still preoccupied.' _Naruto thought to himself.

Naruto took a deep breath, and let out a big yell.

"WHY ARE YOU A PERVERT ERO-SANNIN!?"

To Jiraiya's displeasure all the females in the springs immediately fled, and he was left weeping where he crouched.

Jiraiya looked up at Naruto, his eyes narrowed.

"What did you have to interrupt my research for?"

"RESEARCH? RESEARCH?! What you're doing isn't research, you're peeping at naked women! Aren't you supposed to be teaching me chakra control?" Naruto glared at the Sannin, by now he was very annoyed.

Jiraiya rubbed the back of his head, flustered at Naruto's "exuberance." He shook his palms in front of him trying to get Naruto to calm down. But then he thought of an idea.

'_This'll get the gaki to be quiet.'_

"Naruto, Naruto, if you calm down and shut up, I'll teach you a new jutsu…"

Naruto's head immediately perked up at this, he had always been a sucker for new ninjutsu. But he then became suspicious, Naruto didn't want to learn some stupid ass D-rank one, he'd already had enough of those. He stared up at Jiraiya (AN: Naruto might have gotten taller, but he's still only a twelve year old.)

"It has to be C-rank." He said.

Jiraiya only snorted, "I thought you had bad chakra control, you won't be able to handle a C- Rank jutsu… whatever, it's your loss if you can't learn it." With that Jiraiya leapt into the tree tops, back towards the training grounds. Naruto leapt after him, making sure he was in step with the Sannin.

When Jiraiya looked back at Naruto, he frowned, while he hadn't been going at full speed he'd went fast enough that no genin should be able to do the same, let alone keep up like Naruto was doing now. Jiraiya stored that in his memory as something to be studied later.

Naruto and Jiraiya both landed deftly on training ground seven and stared at each other.

"Alright gaki, before I teach a move I want you to mold chakra for me. As much as you can before it's too hard."

Naruto nodded, and put his hands together in a basic hand sign. He closed his eyes and reached for his chakra… when he glimpsed his chakra pool he was almost speechless. It was so vast! What had the fox done to him? He had more chakra than most jonin!

With trepidation Naruto began to mold his chakra; the feeling of it rushing through his tenkustu was wondrous. It was still super charged with energy, but instead of a choppy, whitewater sensation his chakra usually had, it was obedient and now flowed smoothly throughout his chakra coils…it was a far cry from just a day ago where it would surge with extra energy. Naruto pumped more and more through his system, the feeling of contentment and satisfaction was feeding him with more confidence and he pumped even more…

Jiraiya had to pick up his gaping mouth from the floor when he felt the amount of chakra pouring from Naruto's chakra coils. It astounding! But there was something wrong with it too. He squint his eyes and examined Naruto's chakra closely. When he peered at the tendrils deluging out of Naruto like a solar flare, he gulped. Kyuubi's chakra was mixed with Naruto's. Instead of the usual sky blue of a human's chakra, Naruto's was a cold razor blue flickering with a violet flare, blazing at the edge. And the killer intent! It didn't make you want to jump off a cliff by any means, but it was more than most chunin could muster. Jiraiya glared at the purplish chakra Naruto was still pumping, if this was the amount he had when he was untrained, think of the amount after training by a jonin sensei… he shuddered.

"That's enough Naruto." Jiraiya called out. "I don't see a problem with your chakra control, in fact you have potential.

With an energetic jump for joy Naruto yelled into the sky. He couldn't believe that his control didn't _suck_ anymore; No one could ridicule him at the academy for being only half a ninja. And he could learn better jutsu, but before he could ask for the new jutsu, Jiraiya spoke up.

"Seriously gaki, I thought you said your control sucked. Why do you now have way better control of your chakra in only 12 hours?"

'_Shit!' _Naruto thought with dread. _'How do I explain that I basically made a deal a demon?' _He decided that he would just tell the truth and hope for the best.

Anticipating a bad reaction from Jiraiya he slowly explained what he did for the past 12 hours after the meeting with Oji-san… he got the reaction he'd predicted.

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Jiraiya bellowed out.

"I made a deal with Kyuubi for better chakra control." Naruto said meekly but with a little defiance.

Jiraiya promptly went into a tirade about why you should never make a deal with demons.

"You never ever, ever make deals with demons, there's no such thing as a free deal with demons, they'll always want something back…especially the Kyuubi no Kitsune! Damn it gaki, you don't know if you inadvertently allowed the Kyuubi to release himself on Konoha!"

At this Naruto'sface darkened in anger.

"You think I care?! Do you really think I care about the well being of the village, after all they've done to me?! As far as I'm concerned, the can all burn in HELL!

Jiraiya and Naruto continued their anger fest at each other for an hour. When it finally ended Jiraiya replied warily at Naruto.

"Take off your shirt gaki."

To say Naruto was alarmed would be an under statement. With righteous indignation he pointed at Jiraiya and voiced his disgust.

"YOU'RE A PERVERT AND A GAY PEDOPHILE! YOU'RE SICK IN THE HEAD ERO-SANNIN, YOU KNOW THAT?! S-I-C-K!!!

Now Jiraiya did not like anyone telling him he was gay or a pedophile… usually however, he would just brushed off the comments. But when some twelve year old, wanna-be ninja brat chose to call him both? He decided that could not be tolerated. With a resounding smack Naruto found his blond matted head having a painful and unexpected conversation with the hard, arid ground. Naruto laid there, his head throbbing with pain.

"I'm not gay nor am I a pedophile gaki!" Jiraiya said, tremendously irritated. With arms crossed and a calmer disposition he asked Naruto a question.

"Whenever you molded chakra, did you ever see a seal on your stomach?"

Naruto groaned as he slowly stood up,_ 'Man for such an old man, he packs a mean right hook!' _Glaring at Jiraiya and full of suspicion he answered him,

"Yeah…but how would you know that?"

Jiraiya was caught unawares by the question, he hastily tried to come up with remark that would satisfy Naruto and be too discreet for anyone listening in on their conversation, but after his tirade with Naruto for the past hour, he realized that any intruder listening in on them would already know, in fact he'd bet one of his volumes of Come Come Paradise on it. Jiraiya decided that he would just put it to Naruto bluntly.

"That seal on your stomach contains the Kyuubi no Kitsune, I'll be able to tell if there's anything wrong by looking at the seal, got it?"

Still glaring and muttering about a certain perverted ninja, Naruto took off his shirt and molded chakra. Jiraiya bent down to look at the seal slowly appearing on Naruto's abdomen. If he remembered correctly, the seal should look like a spiral surrounded by eight ragged flame like designs flaring outward. But when he looked at it, there was a summoning sign for foxes at the center of the spiral!_ 'What does this mean?'_ Jiraiya thought to himself. He chose to keep silent for now, but later he would inform the Sandaime and get his opinion. With a neutral gaze he assured Naruto that every thing was okay with his seal.

"Your seal looks alright, but I'll check up on it once in a while, gaki."

Naruto just put on his shirt while he glared at the Sannin in front of him. Then he remembered Jiraiya's promise. With a mischievous smile he started his request.

"Hey Ero-Sannin you said you would teach me a C rank jutsu!"

"_Damn, I was hoping he would forget…hmn what's a good C-rank that'll take him a while to learn... That's it!"_

With a flourish Jiraiya took a red scroll from his green pants, and presented it to Naruto.

"All you want to know is in here. Make sure you don't lose it."

Before Naruto could retort he jumped into the air and with a whoosh of leaves he disappeared towards the Hokage tower.Naruto just shook his head as he stalked off to Ichiraku Ramen. Yelling with the perverted Sannin had worked up an appetite… "Show-off Ero-Sannin," he muttered.

* * *

_**Terms & Jutsu:**_

_Gaki: Japanese for "brat."_

_Pedophile: Look the term up yourself 'cause I sure ain't explaining._

* * *

Author's Note: PLEASE REVIEW!!!! And if you have…THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	10. A Happy Uzumaki but a Broken Hyuga

**Author's Note: I'm gonna have to change my fanfic's rating from T for Teens to M for Mature, cause there's some gore and I'd rather be safe than sorry. I've also decided to write more on Hinata. And just so you know, my fanfic will include made up jutsu…**

* * *

**Chapter 9: A Happy Naruto but a broken Hyuga **

**Last Chapter:**

"_Your seal looks alright, but I'll check up on you once in a while, gaki." And with a whoosh of leaves he disappeared towards the Hokage tower. Naruto just shook his head as he stalked off to Ichiraku Ramen, yelling with the perverted Sannin had worked up an appetite… "Stupid Ero-Sannin," he muttered._

* * *

Naruto was having the time of his life. After twenty bowls of Ichiraku ramen, he'd rushed over to his favorite training spot, the space on top of the mountain carvings of the Hokages. Sitting down, he anxiously ripped open the red scroll Jiraiya had given him. When he peered down at the writing, a smirk appeared on his face. At first he'd been suspicious of what was actually in the scroll, but it looked like the old pervert had come through after all. The scroll read:

* * *

**火遁・豪火球の術 **

_**Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu**_

_**Name: **__Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique._

_**Type: **__C-rank, Offensive, Short range (0-5m)_

_**Famous Users:**__ Most of the Uchiha clan, Jiraiya, Kakashi Hatake_

_**Notes: **When an Uchiha clan member masters this technique, they are recognized as an adult. This technique is also fairly common amongst Konoha's Chunin-level ninja._

_**Directions: **Utilizing a good sized amount of chakra, a large ball of flame is exhaled from the user's mouth. To do this, one needs to complete these steps:_

_**Step One: **Complete this sequence of hand seals: Snake, Horse, Ram then Tiger._

_**Step Two: **At the end of the sequence, and your hands still on the Tiger seal, put your hands in front of your lips._

_**Step Three: **Inhale a large amount of air._

_**Step Four: **Once you have the air stored in your lungs, you need to gather chakra to the base of your tongue and your hands._

_**Step Five: **Superheat the chakra you have gathered by churning it intensely._

_**Step Six: **Then, exhale forcefully._

_If the technique is done right, the air you breathe out will ignite on contact with the chakra. Consequently, a large ball of flame will result._

* * *

Naruto grinned maniacally, as far as jutsu went for a genin, he'd hit the jackpot. For an hour he just practiced getting his mind and his hand to memorize the hand signs. When he felt ready to proceed to the next step, he made sure the scroll wasn't in the path of his mouth, and faced toward the edge of the mountain. He began the sequence of hand seals… stopping at sheep; he put the tips of his fingers below his lips and inhaled as much air as he could. Gathering a good sized amount of chakra, he superheated it and forcefully blew out. The results were, well let's just say they were interesting. He'd supposed the fire ball was supposed to big, but not this big! The behemoth that came out of his mouth was ball in shape yes, but it was the size of a tool shed! To say that Naruto was surprised would be an understatement. That's why when he performed the jutsu, he badly singed his tongue. Naruto crouched on the ground; if he hadn't been so used to pain he would've cried. 

'_OOOOWWWW!!!!!!!!!!'_

He thought painfully, he imagined he had third degree burns inside his mouth. But bit by bit his tongue started to feel better. In five minutes, his mouth was completely healed. Naruto mentally grinned; it looked like his tenant was finally paying his rent.

He shook his head and drew up his nerve; he wanted to get this technique down pat. All through the night the people close to the Hokage Mountain could hear sounds of whooshing fire and a screaming Naruto.

"HOT HOT HOT, ARGH!!"

* * *

The Hyuga clan is considered to be one of the oldest and most powerful clans in Konohagakure. Its kekkei genkai is the main cause of their strength. The only other clan with similar strength and prestige was the Uchiha clan. It is rumored that the Uchiha clan descended from the Hyuga clan, and that the kekkei genkai of the former is descended from the latter's. 

All Hyuga clan members are born with the Byakugan, the inherited kekkei genkai of the clan. Protection of the Byakugan ability is very important to the Hyuga clan, and has led to the development of an elaborate family hierarchy. The Hyuga clan is divided into two houses: the main house and the branch house the branch house's main purpose is to protect the main house and the secrets of the Byakugan. Branch house members' abilities and freedom are restricted through the means of a cursed seal that is placed on every branch house member's forehead.

Through the means of a special technique that only main house members know, the seal can be activated, destroying the brain cells of the person branded with the seal. This allows the main house to make the branch house subordinate to its wishes. In addition, whenever a branch house member dies, the cursed seal will also seal the Byakugan ability so that enemies will not be able to discover the secrets of the bloodline limit if Konoha's hunter-nin are unable to find and dispose the body before the enemy finds it. The clan revolves around the Byakugan and is separated into two parts, the main and the branch house, a creation that protects the secrets of the Byakugan from outsiders. There is a great deal of bitterness between members of the main and branch houses, most likely due to the fact that no matter how powerful branch members become, they exist solely to protect the Hyuga secrets.

Members of the clan are instructed in the use of the Gentle Fist style, which uses the Byakugan to view the opponent's chakra circulatory system and deal precise blows to disable and impede the flow of chakra. Due to training in this style, Hyuga clan members tend to have excellent chakra control. This is emphasized in jutsu that utilize this chakra control, as well as the nuances of the Gentle Fist style. Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms uses the Gentle Fist style to strike sixty-four chakra points on the opponent's body, effectively halting the flow of chakra. Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin is the clan's defensive technique, with the user releasing an enormous amount of chakra, and then whirling to use the chakra as a shield to deflect their opponent's attacks.

As a member of such a powerful and prestigious clan, you would think its heir would be an arrogant and cocky s.o.b. But Hyuga Hinata was the farthest thing from that. She used to be confident; she used to be self assured. But with one event…one stupid event, that wasn't her fault she might add, her world had come crashing down with her self-belief. Hinata sat on her futon, the memories of that event swimming through her mind.

* * *

_Flashback:_

_It was the dead of night and the moon was shimmering brightly upon the grounds of the Hyuga Clan. In the tree branches hanging over the grounds, an intruder crouched looking at the Hyuga Mansion. As the branches swayed in the breeze the moonlight revealed more of the intruder's visage. The shinobi's face was concealed behind a porcelain face mask that was carved in the shape of a snake. The only thing one could see on his head was unusually long black hair that glimmered in the moon. He wore his hitai-ate __unlike most shinobi did, on his bicep. The metal plate had the design of a cloud engraved on it, marking him as a shinobi of Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Clouds. _

_The ninja reached down to his thigh and grasped a kunai from his weapon holster. With a silent ring of metal, he also unsheathed his ninjaken. He didn't draw these weapons to actually use them, hopefully if his mission succeeded he wouldn't have to, but better to be safe than sorry. Freeing his hands for a moment, he made a few hand signs and quietly said to himself: Kinjutsu: Koikiri Meido no Jutsu…with a frigid deathly whisper, a menacing black fog wrapped around him. Soon he was covered head to toe in it; if he did the jutsu right, he would be invisible to even the Byakugan. _

_The shinobi leapt silently off his perch and onto the grounds. His feet made no noise as he deftly ran towards the mansion. None of the guards saw him as he inaudibly passed by them; one by one, he bypassed the feeble security and got closer and closer towards the center of the mansion. When he touched down in front of a door, he smiled manically under his mask. This was almost too easy. Before he went in he sheathed his ninjaken and put his kunai away. Without a sound, he slid the mahogany frame open, stepped in, and immediately leapt up and latched on to the ceiling with his chakra. Seconds after he did, a rain of darts appeared where he had just been milliseconds ago, poisoned no doubt… another evil smirk crossed his face under the mask he wore. Using his masks' X-ray vision, he surveyed the rest of the room for anymore traps… there were none functioning, it seemed the spy he'd sent before had done his job. Upside down, he slowly crept toward the only occupant in the room, the girl sleeping peacefully in her futon. With a soft swish he let go of the ceiling and landed gracefully at the edge of the futon._

_The mysterious intruder pulled out a hypodermic needle from the pack on his back. He poised the needle over the girl's shoulder and forcefully pushed it in. The girl's eyes opened wide in pain and fear, but before she could call out for help the shinobi clamped his hand over her mouth…in a few seconds, Hyuga Hinata was knocked out._

* * *

Hinata almost trembled with grief as she painfully remembered the attempted kidnapping by the cloud shinobi. The funny thing was, it wasn't the attempted kidnapping that made her shudder with sorrow, no it was the rescue that made her sad.

* * *

_Hyuga Hina sat up on her futon as she woke up trembling and sweaty. She looked at her hands…for some reason she couldn't stop having these dreams for the passed week. Her slumber had been fitful and wracked with nightmares about her daughter, Hinata. But tonight had been the worst of all. She could not remember what the dream was, but she new something was wrong. Some motherly instinct was screaming at her to rush over to her daughter's room and do it now. She put on a kimono over her pajamas and walked quickly to her daughters section of the building. Half a minute later, she stood at the door. But before she stepped in, she put her palms on the door and molded some chakra into it, none of the traps would release at her entrance. When she grasped the wooden frame and slid it open, her eyes narrowed. Inwardly, she was nearly faint and feared the worst. But she knew that wouldn't help. _

_With her Byakugan and her chakra, she searched the grounds for her daughter, her eyes widened when she sensed a foreign chakra with her daughters' close to it. The foreign chakra was suppressed, but because her daughter was in danger she felt as if she could sense anything. Before the mother ran out looking for her daughter, she sprinted towards her husband's room. _

_Hyuga Hiashi was woken up with a crash. When he opened his weary eyelids he saw his wife with yelling at him. _

"_Hinata…" she yelled fearfully, "Hinata, she's been kidnapped!"_

_Hiashi was instantly awake, but before the clan head could reply, his wife was gone…_

_Hyuga Hina's feet pattered quickly on the wooden floorboards, dashing towards the foreign chakra and her daughter. _

_The cloud shinobi sensed her coming. He released the forbidden jutsu around him and instead hid his hostage under the black fog. Making sure she was hidden, he waited patiently for the Hyuga_

_When Hyuga Hina sighted the kidnapper in the woods, she frantically molded the chakra in her legs and leapt behind the intruder. Without a word she immediately struck, her body poised in a Hyuga classic, the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. Her fingers were surrounded in chakra blades… blazing fast, they rapped the back of the kidnapper like a machine gun. When she finished, the Hyuga queen realized she'd been duped. What she thought was the real thing was really a mud clone; her enemy had used the earth to make a Bunshin of himself. She scolded her self mentally, she had the Byakugan, but in her frantic haste she hadn't even stopped to examine her opponent. _

_Still poised in the stance of the Gentle Fist, she waited for her opponent to make his move. The kidnapper spoke up behind her, his voice was cold and raspy, and it secretly made her want to shiver._

"_My, my, there is nothing like a mother scorned… don't you agree my pretty little Hyuga?"_

_Not a second to soon, Hyuga Hina immediately started spinning, performing another famous jutsu, the __Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin, or Kaiten as it was commonly known. Chakra spun in a blinding vortex around the Hyuga. She felt the kidnapper pushing against her, but with satisfaction, she knew felt her Kaiten push back. _

_  
When she stopped rotating, she looked around with her Byakugan, and hesitated. Now instead of mud clones, there were a battalion of Kage Bunshins. Unlike mud clones these would be trickier to defeat. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu split the users chakra evenly among the shadow clones. She wouldn't be able to tell which one was real. Her eyes narrowed even further, if it she had to push her self this far for her daughter…so be it. __Hyuga Hina and the clones stood there as if waiting for a cue to start the free for all. At the hoot of an owl, the brawl started. One, two, and then three clones started their attack. In an impressive display of acrobatics and flexibility, Hyuga Hina twisted her body like a contortionist, striking the clones with chakra. Instead of the stiff and unbending form most Hyuga used, hers was lithe and supple. She had made this style because the original was unsuited to a lady's body. As the numerous clones surrounding her attacked, she flowed around them like water, striking them with her chakra infused fingers. A neck here…an arm there… smoke from the dissipating clones surrounded her as she fought to keep the clones back. She heard the ninja taunting her as she fought._

"_Aren't you the impressive little kunoichi?"_

_Hyuga Hina's anger rose up a notch. This shinobi was good, really good. She was being toyed with and if she didn't do something she would be dead. After the last of the clones were defeated, she leapt towards the ninja._

"_Where is my daughter?" _

_Even in her anger her voice still sounded soft, but there was a menace to it that gave it strength. __The shinobi was obviously still amused because all he said was:_

"_Tut tut, let's not get too hasty, yes?"_

'_I'll show you hasty!'_

_With that thought she blasted towards the shinobi in righteous fury._ _The ninja's eyes widened, he hadn't expected the level of speed she was dishing out. He hastily put up his defense and tried to deflect the Hyuga's onslaught. Instead, he paid for his overconfidence. By the end of the barrage both his arms were paralyzed. Damn his cockiness! He realized his mission to capture the Hyuga heiress was a failure. But he still had an ace up his sleeve, or rather his mouth._ _Hyuga Hina stopped to survey her work. She had closed off the tenketsu of the shinobi's arms and legs. She stooped over the shinobi who was on the ground and repeated her self._

"_Where is my daughter?"_

_The shinobi started to laugh, it was evil yet teasing, and it mocked Hyuga Hina's love for her daughter. But before she could retort, a sword flashed out of the shinobi's mouth. Her eyes widened in shock. Before the Hyuga knew it, the sword had pierced through her chest and out her back. Rivulets of blood gushed out from her back and crimson stains splattered on the soft green grass. She started to cough up blood; she fell as it dribbled down her lips and onto her clothes. Her eyes were wide in shock and pain; the last thing Hinata's mother saw was her husband landing next to her and the mysterious shinobi escaping through the undergrowth of the forest._

* * *

After that one event, Hinata's faith and her life had been crushed. Her father hadn't made it easier either. Ever since his wife had died he seemed to blame Hinata for what happened. With a small whimper, Hinata started to cry. She tried not to, but it didn't help that her father had emotionally abused her during their "training sessions." Hinata laid down wrapped her blanket around her body and cried her self to sleep.

* * *

_**Terms & Jutsu:**_

_**(AN: My made up jutsu will have an "OC" next to them…)**_

**_Ninjaken_**_ or "__ninjato__" is the sword an ANBU ninja carried on his back during missions. These swords came in a variety of shapes and sizes. Often, however, they were much shorter than the traditional katana used by samurai. The typical ninjaken carried by a ninja would most likely have been a wakizashi or cut-down katana placed in a katana-length scabbard. This was used to deceive one's opponents into miscalculating how quickly it could be drawn, allowing one to strike faster than expected. It also disguises the weapon that would easily identify them as a ninja as a common sword. The extra space in the scabbard was also be used to store or hide other equipment or goods. _

_**Byakugan: **__L__iterally__ "White Eye," is a d__ojutsu__ that naturally occurs in members of the Hyuga. Byakugan users are characterized by their lavender, pupil-less eyes. When the Byakugan is activated, their pupils somewhat appear and the veins near their temples bulge._

_A person with the Byakugan has a nearly 360 degree field of vision, except for a small blind spot near the back of the neck, its only known weakness. Byakugan users can detect anything around them within a 50-meter radius, although many Hyuga have managed to increase the distance. The Byakugan also gives the user the ability to see through basically anything over extremely long distances. It's a combination of x-ray and thermo graphic vision with a small degree of telescopic vision, as a Byakugan user can focus on a single object at any point within their range of vision. The degree of focus seems to be dependent on the skill of the user. The Byakugan's sight cannot be blocked, except in the case of a summon or a kekkei genkai ability. _

_One of the most powerful aspects of the Byakugan is the ability to see the inner chakra coil system, which is the key aspect of using the Gentle Fist style to attack said system. If sufficiently developed, the Byakugan is able to see individual chakra points, potentially allowing the user to shut off the opponent's chakra flow completely, such that the opponent cannot perform techniques that require chakra. However, the user can increase chakra flow as well. Seasoned Byakugan users are even capable of killing with a single blow._

_**Hunter-nin:** or tracker ninja are a special team within each Hidden Village given the specific duty of hunting down missing-nin. They kill their target, taking the head as proof, and then completely dispose of the body by using various methods, such as cremation or the summoning of wild carrion crows to devour the corpse. This is done in order to make sure the village secrets which a ninja's body holds -- such as chakra types, herbs eaten, ninjutsu, special medicine, and kekkei genkai -- will not be revealed to outsiders. Hunter-nin are also supposed to destroy the corpse at the very spot the body is lying; it is not to be moved after it is dead.  
_

_They are at least ANBU-trained. And because of this, and the fact that they also wear animal masks, it is probable they are a subdivision of ANBU.__As a requirement, they must possess a thorough and intimate knowledge of human anatomy. Due to their reputation for utterly and completely obliterating the remains of their targets, they are code-named "The Undertaker Squad."_

_** Hitai-ate: ** The hitai-ate is a metal forehead protector worn with cloth, usually on your forehead, hence its name.__ As the cornerstone of all shinobi in the elementals, every loyal ninja wears it proudly. Each shinobi village has its own special design engraved on the metal plate._

_**  
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**_

_Name__: L__iterally__ "Shadow Clone Technique_

_Type:__ B-rank, Supplementary_

_Similar to the Bunshin, this jutsu creates clones of the user. Unlike the Clone Technique, these clones are actual copies, not illusions. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones are capable of performing jutsu, but will usually disperse after one or two solid blows. They can also disperse on their own. Also, they can't be detected by the Byakugan because the clones have the exact same amount of chakra and aren't made from any other substance, making them indistinguishable from the actual person. _

_Any experience the clones gain during their existence is transferred to the user once they are dispersed. This makes the technique ideal for spying, since the user can simply send a clone to spy on a target, and then have the clone disperse itself without returning to pass the information back to the user. It's also useful for training purposes, since the total amount of experience the user gains is multiplied by the total number of clones being used to train. _

_This technique is considered dangerous because of the manner in which the clones are created. Because the user divides their chakra among the clones, the user could potentially use up all their chakra fairly quickly if the user is low on chakra or makes too many clones, such as Naruto does with Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, this jutsu's enhanced and forbidden form. _

_**Hakke Rokujuyon Sho **_

_Name: L__iterally__ "Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms."_

_Type:__ B-rank, Offensive, Short range_

_Users:__ Hyuga clan_

_This jutsu closes off sixty-four specific chakra points on an opponent's body with the Gentle Fist style, effectively eliminating their ability to use chakra for quite some time and making it quite difficult for them to move. It begins with the closing of two chakra points, followed by four more, then eight, then sixteen, then thirty-two, and then sixty-four strikes. Each set of strikes is done at an increasing pace. The Hyuga Clan was made famous because of this technique._

_Hakkesho Kaiten_

_Name:__ L__iterally__ "Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin_

_Type:__ A-rank, Defensive, Short range _

_Users:__ Hyuga clan_

_This jutsu utilizes the chakra control gained through Gentle Fist training to release a huge amount of chakra from the user's chakra points. The released chakra blocks any possible attack. The user then spins themselves rapidly to parry the attack, both creating a shield of chakra around themselves and tossing away any would-be attackers. The spin also allows the user to defend the blind spot in the Byakugan._

_**OC: Kinjutsu: Koikiri Meido no Jutsu**_

_Name:__ Literally__ "Forbidden Art: Dense Fog of the Underworld Technique."_

_Type:__ A-rank, Supplementary_

_This jutsu summons a dark ethereal mist from hell. The fog wraps around the user, blinding the user from sight. Since the fog is summoning, and not made from chakra it will even blind the Byakugan and the Sharingan._

* * *

_**AN: I think I out did myself, anyways…PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!**_


	11. Kyuubi Wants Out

**Chapter 10: Kyuubi Wants Out**

**Last Chapter: **

_**After that one event, Hinata's faith and her life had been crushed. Her father hadn't made it easier either. Ever since his wife had died he seemed to blame Hinata for what happened. With a small whimper, Hinata started to cry. She tried not to, but it didn't help that her father had emotionally abused her during their "training sessions." Hinata laid down wrapped her blanket around her body and cried her self to sleep.**_

* * *

Naruto was ecstatic, he was sure he was going to graduate and become genin. In one night he had learned the Gokakyu. He hadn't mastered it by any stretch of the imagination, but he was proficient enough to not burn his tongue like he had the first fifty times. At sun up the next day Naruto lay exhausted on his futon, even though he had more chakra than most jonin, he had used it all up. He imagined his training spot would have been burnt to a crisp if he hadn't pointed his mouth at the edge of the cliff. 

Naruto glanced at his alarm clock, and gave a sigh of relief.

'_Whew! It's only one o'clock, I still have five hours until the start of the graduation exam.'_

With that thought Naruto promptly fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

When Naruto came to, he was soaked. 

'_Not again!'_

Glaring at the waves crashing upon him Naruto quickly scrambled of his rocky perch and onto dry land. Waking up too find himself soaked to the bone was really starting to annoy Naruto. He wondered what the Kyubi wanted this time.

"**I want you to come over here Uzumaki."**

Naruto turned around in the direction of the voice. He had expected it to be like last time but it seemed like Kyuubi had other plans. What he saw when he turned around surprised him, a lot.

Kyuubi was standing in front of him and instead of his menacing, and not to mention gigantic fox form, Kyuubi was in the shape of a man. He had a mane of crimson hair that flowed down to his waste. His outfit was an intimidating combination of red and black. The hakama pants he wore were jet black, almost as if it sucked in the light around it, and the haori he wore was the color of blood. Naruto glanced at Kyuubi's neck and saw something strange. It was a black leather band with the kanji's for "Death Seal" engraved on it. The band looked pretty restrictive too. Before Naruto could question the Kyuubi, he was broken off with a command.

"**Follow me."**

And for half an hour that was all Naruto did. It looked like Kyuubi had changed the direction of his place, because instead of going through the tropical rainforest, they went around it. They arrived at cliff jutting out into the ocean, and situated right on top of it was a old and traditional Japanese style house. It was made of wooden frames and the walls were made of a tough paper like material. Kyuubi slid the door open and Naruto followed him inside.

They both sat down in what he supposed was the "living room."

When Kyuubi turned to face him, he didn't even say anything. He just kept staring at Naruto with his slitted red eyes. For what seemed an hour to Naruto, they sat there looking at each other; it was starting to unnerve him. When Kyuubi finally spoke up, it was with a voice almost as deep as the one in his previous form; Naruto was almost startled, he had grown used to the silence.

"**Why do you think you are here Uzumaki?"**

'_How am I supposed to know that?' _thought a bewildered Naruto.

Seeing his confusion the lord of all kitsune spoke again.

"**Think Uzumaki, what did I tell you the last time we met?"**

Naruto's eyes widened, he remembered now. Kyuubi was going to talk to him about the second part of his "help."

"**I gather you recall what I said, yes?"**

The blond just nodded in reply.

"**The last time I made a deal with you, only you gained from it. **

Naruto gulped in apprehension, it looked like the pervert had been right all along; you don't accept help from a demon and not expect to give something back. Kyuubi wanted his due.

"**To put it bluntly, it's my turn Uzumaki… I want out."**

Naruto bugged out.

"Hell no! Even if I don't like the villagers, I promised Oji-san I wouldn't let you go free!"

"**I **_**will**_** set myself free my little Jinchuriki, with or without your help, you might as well agree so it will be easier for both of us. And don't worry; your precious village won't be attacked."**

Naruto stared hard at Kyuubi's eyes; he wanted to see if he could call Kyuubi's bluff. But what he saw immediately disproved that line of thinking. Kyuubi's right eye was raised as if daring him to not believe. It was intimidating to say the least. But he knew that the fox was serious. And anyway, what he really wanted to know was how the Kyuubi was going to free itself. Hadn't the Yondaime made his seal fool proof? Hadn't he made sure that the demon would never be able to escape? But then Naruto stopped himself, the Yondaime was only one man and no matter how strong a ninja he was, he was nothing to the Lord of all Kitsune.

"**You want to know how I'm going to do it don't you? I planned this from the very beginning Uzumaki. Since the day I was sealed, I searched for a way to get out, make a jailbreak as you humans put it. And it came to me in a stroke of genius; why not use a demonic summoning seal? Your pathetic excuse for a leader couldn't possibly know of them and therefore he would not be able to counteract them. So for the first five to ten years of your life, I made a special summoning seal that would free me. I slowly but surely put one together, one that would counter act the Yondaime. Look at your abdomen Uzumaki and you shall see it."**

Naruto heeded Kyuubi's words and sure enough, there was a summoning seal at the center of the original seal jailing Kyuubi. However, he wanted to know exactly how Kyuubi would make a new body.

"How are you going to make a new body? How is that possible?"

"**I realized that once I freed my self I would need a new body, my old one was dead. But because of the **_Shiki Fujin _**I couldn't take yours, so I decided that I would make one. And it's simple really, I told you my chakra can make anything in your mind, yes? Using my chakra I will make the body of a fox in your mind. As the Lord of all Kitsune, I can add the fox I've created to the list of summons in the summoning seal. Once the fox is added, either you or I can summon it to the real world, but it will be easier for the both of us if you do it. As the fox is summoned I'll imbue myself into it. As an unfortunate side effect, most of the chakra I have left will go to you, but I will regain that chakra once I'm out. "**

Naruto was no seal master, but the way Kyuubi had planned out his escape, it sounded fool proof. The demon fox was really going to escape his cage, with his help of course; but he couldn't believe how the fox made it sound.

Then, before Naruto knew it, the demon fox had his right hand in his abdomen! And even though it was his mind's body, it still hurt like hell. Strangely enough no blood was pouring out of the wound. Shocked, Naruto stared with wide eyes at kitsune.

"Wh, What are you doing?" He gasped out amid the pain."

Kyuubi stared back at him with a strange expression on his face; it was full of amusement and anticipation at the same time.

"**This is part of my plan, don't worry it'll only sting for a little while."**

With a flash of light, a fox started forming in front of him. The bones appeared, then slowly but surely muscles started to wrap around the bones, soon the thing was covered in red fur and a fox the size of a lion was staring back at him. The fox's eyes were eerie, for there was no life in them, just an empty shell. Naruto shuddered at the sight.

The kitsune gave out an amused chuckle.

**"Mold chakra towards the summoning seal on your stomach, Uzumaki; I am anxious for freedom." **

Naruto hesitated apprehensively, he could still do the right thing, but then he decided the right thing could screw itself, it never helped him before. He decisively molded chakra at his navel.

With that action, the expressionless fox and Kyuubi started to swirl into a red vortex. Picking up speed, the twister spun towards Naruto's navel where the summon seal was located.

**"****Sayonara for now, Uzumaki Naruto.**"

With another flash of light, Kyuubi and the fox were gone…

* * *

Hyuga Hiashi sat in his office, doing nothing really. He was supposed to be filling out paperwork, but he decided he would take a break from the pile that was in front of him. What he was really doing was thinking about today. Today was the start of the graduation exam at Konoha's Ninja Academy; but it was also the anniversary of his wife's death. His hands clenched tightly he thought about what happened. It seemed the events that day had been a blur, at least up until he saw his love's corpse on the forest floor. When his wife had knocked down his door to tell him their daughter was missing, it was like a frigid cold spear had pierced his heart. But before he could reply, she had already left…

* * *

_Flashback:_

_The first thing Hiashi did was alert his brother, and then he checked on his younger daughter, Hanabi, he had faith that his wife could at least stall the kidnapper long enough for him or his brother to help. Hiashi's heart went in to overdrive as he used his Byakugan to check his daughter's room. He wanted to make sure she hadn't been taken away from him either. When he saw that his other daughter was okay, he darted out of the compound after his wife. For what seemed like an hour he jumped from tree to tree, cursing how far away he was from his wife and his eldest daughter. What he saw when he finally reached his wife, would haunt him forever. _

_Hyuga Hina was bent over the kidnapper, a blade protruding out her back. The kunai she had held against the kidnapper's throat landed with a thud next to her…Hiashi couldn't move, he couldn't breathe…But what shook him out of his trance was the cold laughter of the shinobi as he pulled his sword from her chest and leapt away. Bent over his wife, he took her pulse, desperately hoping that she was just unconscious, but she was dead. Her body was already starting to feel cold and lifeless. Seeing that his wife was already past redemption he looked around for his daughter. He spotted her, quickly appearing by her side, he checked her pulse to make sure she wasn't dead either, she wasn't._

_  
A thud alerted Hiashi of someone behind him, immediately he turned around poised in the stance of the Gentle Fist. But it was only his brother, Hizashi._

_"Is Hina dead?" _

_  
His brother, asked full of sorrow. Hiashi's wife had been like the sister he'd never had._

_  
Hiashi only nodded._

_  
Hizashi stared hard at his twin brother… it was as if they were in agreement of what should be done, with a curt nod Hiashi leapt after the kidnapper. Vengeance would be his._

_  
Hiashi's eyes narrowed as felt the kidnapper make a break for Konoha's border … If he didn't catch up, the murderer would escape. Putting an extra burst of chakra into his legs he quickly caught up. With an even larger burst of chakra he leapt and back flipped over the kidnapper. Landing on his toes, and making sure he was dealing with the real thing; Hiashi immediately started his own form of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. He ended his onslaught with a chakra strike to the shinobi's heart. In the span of five seconds, the shinobi was dead. Hiashi picked up the corpse and leapt back towards the Hyuga compound._

_  
A few miles away, two dark figures stood on a rock bluff, staring at the moon. The shorter of the two spoke up._

_  
"Did you succeed, Orochimaru-sama?"_

_  
The taller figure was wearing an ANBU mask carved in the shape of a snake._

_  
"No Kabuto, thanks to that fool of a woman… But no matter, I gained some valuable information from the Hyuga Compound that I can use in the future… Did our disguised cloud shinobi fool the clan head?"_

_  
The shorter figure, Kabuto, had glasses, and he adjusted them as he answered his cohort._

_"Yes, Orochimaru-sama… those foolish Hyuga and Konoha will never suspect a thing."_

_  
With a malicious smile on both their faces, the two figures disappeared in a whoosh of leaves._

* * *

That event had nearly crushed Hiashi's will to be clan head, he had even considered giving his position to his brother, but what happened later ruined any chance of that. The death of the cloud shinobi had occurred in the most inopportune time. For a few years Konoha had been at war with Kumogakure, but recently both sides had called for a cease-fire, a truce of sorts. But as soon as the Village Hidden in The Clouds learned of what happened to one of their shinobi, Kumogakure demanded that the body of Hiashi be delivered to them as compensation as directed in the terms of the treaty they had both signed. At the time, both sides had lost a lot of ninja; and Konoha did not want to start another war. So they did the only thing they could do, a certain someone from the Hyuga clan would have to be given up as a sacrifice. 

The Hyuga clan clamored for a different solution, they did not want to give away the secrets of the Byakugan, but Konoha was backed into a corner , they had just recovered from Kyuubi's rampage and if they didn't give into Kumo's demands, their village would become a pathetic shadow of its former glory. Hiashi's brother, Hizashi, volunteered to be killed instead of Hiashi, thus saving his life. Hiashi was absolutely opposed to the idea of his brother taking his place and leaving his young son, Neji, but before he could prevent his brother from doing so, Hizashi disabled him in one blow. Hizashi told his brother that he was not doing it to serve the main house, but because they were brothers and doing so was his way of going against his fate. In the span of one month, Hyuga Hiashi had lost a wife and a sibling.

You would think that someone who lost his loved ones would be grateful for the remaining little he has, but that was not the case. Hiashi's daughter, Hinata, was the mirror image of his wife. Every time he gazed at his daughter, he would see his wife, bent over with a sword coming out of her back. It almost made him go crazy. So in his frustration, he did the only thing he thought he could do. He did not want to lose either of his daughter's; so he decided he would make them strong, stronger than himself. He would work them to the ground if it was necessary.

In their training sessions he would train both his daughters to exhaustion, but only Hanabi would get back up, Hinata so painfully like her mother, would hold back or never pull through. Every time he saw Hinata fall in exhaustion in their training sessions he would yell at her to get up, because anytime she showed weakness, he would see his wife covered in blood with a sword impaled at her chest, and it reminded him of his own weakness. This went on for years, and Hinata only got worse. Unlike her sister, she had no apparent strength or pride, she only had weakness. But today Hiashi would find out if his eldest daughter had the strength to become a ninja. After four years of attending Konoha's Ninja Academy, Hinata would hopefully graduate, because the graduation exam would commence in exactly one hour…

* * *

_  
**Terms & Jutsu:**_

_**ANBU: **__ ANBU is an organization that serves under the direct command of their Kage. The term ANBU is actually short for __**An**__satsu Senjutsu Tokushu __**Bu**__tai, translated: Special Assassination and Tactical Squad). The ANBU are similar to SWAT, a specialized unit in many American police departments, trained to perform dangerous operations. ANBU protect the village from exceptional threats, conduct high-risk missions into enemy countries, and deal with extremely strong ninja. They are also responsible for carrying out assassinations and missions requiring specially trained ninja. _

_The ANBU wear porcelain animal masks in order to distinguish them from normal shinobi and to conceal their identities. They also have standard uniforms consisting of black and gray armor, arm guards, and a signature spiral tattoo on their left shoulder. All ANBU carry Ninjaken, which are usually strapped to their backs, and they all know the layout of the human body in detail. Certain ANBU wear black cowls over their standard uniforms, and squad leaders may wear white cowls._

_**Kumogakure no Sato: **__"The Village Hidden among Clouds" is located in the Land of Lightning. As one of the five great Ninja villages, Kumogakure has a Kage as leader, the Raikage. In that past, Konohagakure and Kumogakure were at war, and during peace talks, the head ninja from this village tried to kidnap Hinata Hyuga to obtain the Byakugan. Hiashi Hyuga killed him before he could do so, causing the village to demand Hiashi's body. Its ninja specialize in lightning-based jutsu._

* * *

_**AN: The next chapter will be a doosy, at least twice as long as this one, so for all that think my chapters are too short…prepare yourself...**_

_**P.S: PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_


	12. Konoha Academy's Graduation Exam

**Chapter 11: Konoha Academy's Graduation Exams**

* * *

**Last Chapter: **

_Every time he saw Hinata fall in exhaustion in their training sessions he would yell at her to get up, because anytime she showed weakness, he would see his wife covered in blood with a sword impaled at her chest, and it reminded him of his own weakness. This went on for years, and Hinata only got worse. Unlike her sister, she had no apparent strength or pride, she only had weakness. But today Hiashi would find out if his eldest daughter had the strength to become a ninja. After four years of attending Konoha's Ninja Academy, Hinata would hopefully graduate, because the graduation exam would commence in exactly one hour…_

* * *

Naruto nearly shit himself when he woke up. The first thing most people expect to wake up to is their bedroom ceiling, what he woke up to was giant blood red fox crouched over his head. With a pathetic yelp he jumped back, and landed smack on to the cold hard floor. 

"OW!!"

Kyuubi started to guffaw at the sight in front of him.

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!!!!!!"

Naruto was bent over, lying with his head mashed into the wooden floor, his rear-end raised in a comical position. He looked like he had tried to wrestle his blanket, and lost. It was a funny scene to say the least, and it was made even funnier with a giant red fox laughing his head off.

While desperately trying to get the choking white blanket wrapped around him off, Naruto stared grumpily at the fox, who was still laughing at him too.

"Alright, alright you scared the hell out of me, you happy now?"

"**For now, yes."**

With his head tilted curiously, Naruto gazed at Kyuubi,

"Um, aren't you supposed to be gone, I mean, you don't like me that much do you?"

In a flash, Kyuubi went from amused and cheeky, to serious and humorless.

"**I can't."**

Naruto's blue eyes widened, he did not want to be seen with the "Lord of all Kitsune" at his side; that meant death by villagers for sure.

"**At least, not as gone as I want to be."**

"What do you mean by that?" Naruto questioned

"**It seems your stupid Yondaime was smarter than I gave him credit for. I'm free in the sense that I'm no longer jailed within you, but the three seals the Yondaime chose are tying me to you, a really long leash of sorts. You see Uzumaki; the Shiki Fujin ties our two souls together. As long as you are alive, I'm still tied to you."**

Naruto just shook his head, a gob smacked expression on his face.

"That's not good, is it?"

"**No shit, Uzumaki. But at least I won't die when you do. So even if you do something stupid and kill your self on a mission, I'll still live. My intervention has given me that at least.**

The blond haired jinchuriki just stood there looking at the floor. This would not do, it would not do at all. The villager's were already murderous at his existence, if he was seen with a giant red fox, he was screwed. But then a light of hope showed through Naruto's grim thoughts.

"How long exactly, can we be apart?"

"**We can be half a mile away from each other. But I've decided even that's too close to any human. So I've decided to grant you a summoning contract with the Kitsune."**

"WHY!!" Naruto knew he should have been somewhat grateful, but he didn't want anything to do with foxes. They had ruined his life as far as he was concerned.

"**Don't give me that crap Uzumaki, I don't want to have anything to do with you either, but your kami-awful Yondaime has made sure of that. So… this is what we are going to do. I'm going to go back to my world…Makai**-

Naruto interrupted, something didn't add up.

"Wait, I thought you said we were stuck together."

"**I thought so too, but while you were sleeping I came up with a solution… I made myself a summon, right?"**

"Right" Naruto answered back.

"**That means if you accept the summoning contract of the Kitsune and become a summoner, you can release me back to my world. It's a win-win situation."**

Naruto nodded at this, what the fox had said made sense and he couldn't see any thing wrong with the plan.

"Alright, what do I have to do?"

"**All you have to do is sign your name in blood on this scroll."**

And with a burst of smoke a summoning scroll appeared at the Kyuubi's paws. It was blood red. _'What's with Kyuubi and blood?' _he thought silently to himself, the scroll had gold leaf ornately decorated at the edges. Naruto slowly unraveled the summoning scroll, making sure not to damage it. When he opened it up, there was only one other person who had signed his name, an _**Uchiha Madara**__. 'Who the heck is that?' _He didn't recognize the unfamiliar name. He decided he would look that up later, for now he had a contract to make with the kitsune. Naruto raised his thumb to his large canine teeth and bit down, ignoring the pain, he quickly wrote the kanji for his name on the scroll before his thumb could heal. When he was done, his name written in blood started to glow an eerie red and slowly morph into permanent black ink. Shaking his head at the scroll, Naruto alerted Kyuubi that he was done.

"**Finally," **Kyuubi said anxiously. **"To release me to my world, just put your hands in the release seal, mold chakra into the summoning seal on your stomach and say "Kai". If you need to summon me here, just mold chakra to your navel again, and yell out Kuchiyose no Jutsu, you won't need to bite your tongue for blood because the seal will draw it from your bloodstream."**

Naruto nodded and put his hands together, molding chakra to the summoning seal he yelled out:

"Kai!"

Kyubi and the summoning contract were gone with burst of smoke.

Naruto shook his head,

"Whew! What a morning… Oh shit! I can't believe I forgot the graduation exam was today!"

* * *

The Konoha Ninja Academy was a right of passage for the shinobi of Konohagakure. If an academy student graduated, they would go on to become genin, or starter ninja. The new genin would then be split up into squads of three after their graduation and assigned an experienced jonin sensei. 

As Hyuga Hinata walked with her jonin tutor Kurenai, she hoped to kami that she would be one of the few to graduate. Sure she had been trained non-stop since the age of seven and the exam was supposed to be a cinch for a regal Hyuga, but she didn't feel regal, no, she felt like crap. This morning her father had called her to his office for a "prep talk."

* * *

_Flashback:_

_Hiashi stared down at his daughter, who looked absolutely scared. 'When will she get a backbone?' He thought. With a frown he asked his daughter a question._

"_You know what today is, Hinata?"_

"_Ye…Yes, father" Hinata stuttered out._

"_Well then, you know that as a Hyuga you should graduate… I expect nothing less from you, do you understand?_

"_Ye…Yes father" Hinata stuttered out, again._

"_I will see you later."_

_Hinata bowed to her father and slowly backed away to the door…_

* * *

When Hinata thought about it, the meetings with her father were sad, in the pathetic kind of way. Her father would do most of the talking and all she would say would be "Yes Father," or "No Father," it truly was pathetic. In fact her whole life was pathetic when she thought about it. Her father hated her, at least she thought so, she knew her cousin Neji hated her, and her incessant stuttering got on everybody's nerves, not to mention hers. Hinata's depressing thoughts would have kept spiraling downwards if it weren't for a certain blond. 

"Watch out!"

Hinata perked her head up; a yellow headed blur was barreling towards her! Taking a hint, she sidestepped the blur.

"That was a close one uh?"

Hinata stared at the person standing in front of her. Naruto had his arm behind his head, scratching it sheepishly. She noticed that he had his blue goggles on and a blush slowly appeared on her face. She couldn't believe he'd still kept wearing that after four years.

Naruto stared at Hinata. She was a weird girl but she was really nice. She was one of the few people he went out of his way to be nice to.

"Hey, Hinata can I walk with you to the Academy?"

Hinata blushed even harder, inventing a new shade of red. She looked over to her escort, inwardly pleading for her consent.

"Can Na…Naruto-kun come with us?"

Kurenai grinned at Hinata, she and Naruto would make a cute couple. Even though Naruto was cold to most people, he could really be kind when he wanted to.

"Of course he can."

And with that, Naruto walked with Hinata to the academy.

* * *

Talking with Hinata was more fun then he realized. He could say almost anything that was on his mind, almost. But his good mood was crushed when he got to the Academy. What put him in his sour mood was one person and just one person only. 

'_Sasuke-teme…"_

At first the Uchiha had been shy but kind hearted during the first day of the academy. But after the Uchiha Massacre, his attitude had taken a nose dive. Soon the village had given him a nickname: Uchiha Sasuke, the last Uchiha… Naruto just scoffed when he thought of how much the Uchiha was spoiled by the villagers. They lavished him with praise, as if he was some godsend. The brat acted like such a victim. Like life was so bad. Naruto had to admit that losing your clan to your brother would be painful, but he thought the Uchiha should really get over his obsession. Compared to his life, the Uchiha was living it up. But even that wasn't what really irritated Naruto, no, what really irked him was the Uchiha's attitude. Sasuke acted like he was superior to every one as if just because he was an Uchiha, he should get everything… It put a foul taste in his mouth. He remembered vividly the first time he'd met the Uchiha…

* * *

_Flashback:_

_Naruto sat on the bleacher's bored out of his mind. Who knew the the academy would be so boring? Naruto stared lazily at the rest of the class, almost everyone else looked as sleepy as he did. Two of them actually were sleeping, the fat one and the pineapple haired one. Naruto chuckled silently, they were shameless. After recess, Iruka, the chunin instructor, formed them into groups, some crap about ninja being able to work with strangers. Naruto was paired up with the emo and pinkie._

_Pinkie introduced herself first, she had the high innocent voice of a child who didn't know how hard life could be._

"_Hi! My name is Sakura, what's your name?"_

"_Name's Naruto," he gruffly replied._

_The emo didn't even reply he just grunted. Naruto rolled his eyes. The three kids just stood there awkwardly gazing at each other or in the case of the emo, into space. For ten minutes Naruto stood there watching the other kids start off warm relationships while his group was colder than a block of ice. Naruto realized he would have to do something, because the teacher was starting to glance in his direction. First he would need the emo's name._

"_Alright, you, what's your name?"_

_The dark haired kid stared at him with cold eyes._

"_Hello, anyone there? Naruto said with cheek._

"_My name is Uchiha, Uchiha Sasuke."_

_Unlike Sakura, his voice was grave and solemn. Naruto raised his right eye. He guessed right, Sasuke was definitely an emo. Sakura decided to speak up._

"_Oooh! You're the last Uchiha, aren't you?_

_Sasuke just stared into space, totally ignoring Sakura…_

* * *

That was the nicest Sasuke had ever acted with him and one of his most awkward moments at the academy. Now, it had only gotten worse. Sakura had become Sasuke's fan girl. Naruto shuddered at the thought. In all of ninja kind there is nothing more annoying and humiliating then a fan girl. The screaming banshees loved to worship the objects of their affection. And just because the person doesn't reciprocate doesn't mean they'll stop. If anything, it just encourages them. Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by his Shikamaru. Now he was one person he was grateful for. Unlike the rest of the kids he hadn't inherited the villager's left over hate for him. 

"Oi, Naruto what are you looking at?"

Naruto stared over at the Nara and smiled,

"Don't worry, Shika, it's nothing…

He and Shika sat down with the others to, Kiba, Shino, and Chouji. Iruka-sensei called for the class to calm down so he could begin the graduation exam.

"Ahem, everyone please be quiet and sit down."

No one was listening, Iruka decided that mister nice guy was going to take a break.

"SIT DOWN AND SHUT-UP, YOU BRATS!!!!!" (AN: In my fanfic I'm gonna have Iruka be a bit more…shall we say meaner? I think he's to pansy in the anime. The kids will still like him 'cause instead of nice he'll be cool. The change won't be big, just noticeable.)

Immediately everyone clammed up and sat down. Iruka rarely shouted, but when he did, he got results. In a much calmer tone he continued.

"Alright, today is the graduation exam. And as all of you know, or should know…" At this he glared at some of the class.

"Anyways," he continued, "the exam will consist of two branches, the written test and the practical test. The practical will in turn have three subdivisions which are required of a good ninja: the Taijutsu exam, the Ninjutsu exam, and the Genjutsu exam. In order to graduate, one must either pass all of the practical testing or pass the written test and score two out of the three subdivisions of the practical test."

Naruto grinned, before he had doubts he could pass the graduation test, but now with his improved control he wouldn't have to worry as much. Iruka continued his explanation of the Graduation Exam.

"This year, a new Rookie of the Year will be named. Last year's was Hyuga Neji. The Rookie of the Year will have to have received the highest marks on the written test and score the most points in the practical test. You will get scored on how well your taijutsu form is, how well your ninjutsu is performed and how well you can dispel low level illusions and disrupt them."

Iruka then started to divide the class in groups according to alphabet. And just his luck Naruto's last name was grouped with Sasuke's. When Naruto and Sasuke were called for their taijutsu testing, they glared at each other. Sasuke spoke up first.

"May the best man win, dobe." He said mockingly.

"I plan to Uchiha, I plan to."

The two rivals glowered fiercely at each other, but inside they knew they were going to enjoy the test. Of their class, Naruto and Sasuke were the best at taijutsu. And they both knew it.

When they got to the back of the academy, where the taijutsu test was located, they both smirked in anticipation.

The taijutsu instructor introduced himself as Kotetsu Hagane, but neither Naruto nor Sasuke cared about that, they were anxious for their fight to begin.

Kotetsu spoke the terms of the match loud and clear .

"For thirty minutes you will fight until someone either forfeits or knocked out, no killing. This will be a clean match; there will be no ninjutsu or genjutsu, just taijutsu. If I deem someone defeated I will end the match. Got it?"

Naruto and Sasuke nodded.

"Alright, face each other at opposite ends of the field."

Naruto faced Sasuke at his end of the field, he relaxed his tensed muscles, and thought of the can of whoop-ass he was gonna give to Sasuke; it would be oh so sweet. Even with his gravity belt, Sasuke would never be able to match him with his training under Gai and Kyuubi's touch-ups. He put his legs in the stance of the _**Shuurai Fi-to**_ and his torso poised the form of the _**Taikyokuken.**_

Sasuke frowned at Naruto choice of taijutsu, he'd felt it before and it was painful. Naruto's legs were bent shoulder width apart, and he was tensed forward on the balls of his feet. His arms were spread apart, the hand facing him open and palms out, the arm bent farther away was also palms open. (AN: if you look up "Shodaime" on Google, there'll be a picture of him in a taijutsu stance, that's what Naruto looks like except with palms wide open.) Sasuke steeled himself, as long as he kept up with Naruto's speed he would be okay.

* * *

"Hajime!" 

Naruto shot forward a split second before Sasuke. Before Sasuke knew it Naruto was in front of him, his right fist reared back. Sasuke's eyes widened at Naruto's speed. He hastily brought his arm to block the punch, soon Naruto's left fist followed close behind the right, then his right foot and then his left. For while, Naruto pressed on the attack, using all his limbs to perform acrobatic combos and Sasuke would try and block or dodge.

Kotetsu's jaws dropped as he watch supposed academy students tear it up on the taijutsu field, the blond haired one especially. Since the beginning of the match he'd been pressing Sasuke backwards.

Naruto flowed expertly from stance to stance, and Sasuke moved to meet him. The blonds' taijutsu was almost instinctual, as if he learned it from birth; years training with Gai had paid off well for Naruto. But although Sasuke felt clumsy compared to Naruto, he found that he could anticipate his moves fairly well. What Sasuke didn't realize, was that his eyes were changing. His usually onyx eyes, were flickering a deep red, with a tomoe mark appearing gradually. Sweat poured from Sasuke's face, despite the coolness of the day. Wiping his head with his backhand, he prepared himself for Naruto's next barrage of taijutsu.

Naruto had a smirk on his face; so far he had been holding back, mostly using his arms to fight and the emo had been doing fairly well. But it was time to turn it up a notch and introduce Sasuke to the finer workings of the _**Shuurai Fi-to**_. Naruto quickly dashed towards him, one moment he was a few yards from Sasuke and the next he was in the air, right foot cocked back to smash Sasuke's face. Sasuke had to block the leg with both his arms. Naruto landed quickly crouched on the ground. He pivoted on the leg he landed with and with his other leg swept it under Sasuke. His opponent jumped over it, not knowing that's what Naruto really wanted.

Before Sasuke knew it, Naruto had drawn level with him in the air. Naruto grinned cheekily at Sasuke when he kneed him harshly in the gut. Sasuke's eyes bugged out with the hit. It felt like a sledgehammer! But he didn't have time to think because right after the knee, Naruto used Sasuke as leverage and flipped in mid air, slamming Sasuke's head to the ground with his heel.

Sasuke was out cold.

The taijutsu examiner tried to pick up his mouth from the floor. He was astounded at the feat of taijutsu Naruto and Sasuke had just displayed. They could kick his ass! Shaking his head ruefully, Kotetsu looked at his examination sheet, he checked off Naruto and Sasuke's names, the two had passed with flying colors.

* * *

After Sasuke came to, for the rest of the examination, Naruto and Sasuke competed for the title of Rookie of the Year. But Sasuke ended up wining. But the only reason Sasuke had won was because he had come second in the written test, beaten by Sakura. Naruto had won the taijutsu test but tied with Sasuke in both the Ninjutsu and Genjutsu test. It turned out that even though Naruto had more chakra, Sasuke had better control even with his improvements. Naruto decided he didn't care about the award. Smashing Sasuke's face into the dirt had been a reward all on its own. 

It turned out 27 academy students had graduated. Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino and Chouji had passed their test. Only three girls he knew had passed; Hinata, Ino and Sakura. The first thing he did when he was handed his hitai-ate, was go to Hinata to talk to her about what they were going to do as genin. But she was with her father.

"You graduated as befitting an heir; you haven't disappointed me yet so far." Hyuga Hiashi said condescendingly at Hinata.

Naruto glared at Hiashi when he heard the way he talked to his daughter. He knew he shouldn't be insolent with the head of the Hyuga clan, but anyone who treated their relatives poorly, especially his daughter, was despicable in his book. Hiashi felt someone gazing at him; the elder Hyuga turned and saw Naruto glaring at him. He just gazed back, and without a word walked away towards the Hyuga compound, his daughter following meekly behind him.

Naruto celebrated his graduation with Iruka-sensei and Oji-san at Ichiraku Ramen. After he said his goodbyes, the blond strolled down to training field seven to train with Gai and Lee. He now sat on a training log, happy that he was finally a ninja, albeit a lowly genin. But he would remedy that soon enough. Naruto reluctantly took off his light blue goggles. He gazed at both pieces of headwear, his forehead protector in his left hand, and his goggles in his right. Naruto didn't want to part with his goggles just yet; it had been his first gift from someone other than Oji-san or Iruka-sensei. He decided he would leave the goggles where they were for now. The new genin took the metal plate off the hitai-ate's cloth and with a metallic click he snapped it on to his gravity belt on his waist. Satisfied, he waited for Gai-sensei and Lee. It was time to get some taijutsu training in; it'd been a week since the last time he'd practiced with Gai and Lee.

Naruto got up as he saw Gai and Lee jump into the clearing. Gai was in his usual odd style with the bowl cut and gigantic eyebrows. But Lee was actually dressed different. Before Gai could influence Lee too much, Naruto had intervened. His hair was the same style as it was back then, but thankfully Naruto had convinced Lee to trim his eyebrow. And he was dressed pretty well too. Lee had on a black t-shirt and a maroon vest jacket, his shorts were also black.

Although Naruto had prevented Lee from dressing up like Gai, he couldn't prevent him from acting like Gai.

"YOSH NARUTO, I REJOICE IN THE SIGHT OF YOUR NEW HITAI-ATE. YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH ARE BLAZING!

"Er, thanks," Naruto replied sheepishly.

For some strange reason Gai had started crying, Naruto stared at the weeping jonin,

"What's wrong?"

"Naruto, this is the last time I can train you. My genin team is starting to take harder missions and I will be busy. It was already hard enough before, but now it'll be all but impossible, my flame of youth isn't up to the task you see. This will be our last taijutsu training session."

Naruto was shocked at the statement, and even more surprised at what he was feeling. Sad? He hadn't realized it, but he had actually looked forward to the training sessions. Sure bowl cut ninja was weird, but his training methods were effective, and he always praised Naruto for his accomplishments. But Gai had good news too.

"YOSH! Even if I can't train you, I can still spar with you once a week! Anyways with almost five years of tutoring from me you've practically mastered the _**Taikyokuken **_and the _**Shuurai Fi-to.**_"

"YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH WILL STILL BURN BRIGHTLY!!" Lee spoke up.

Naruto supposed he should be grateful for Gai's teaching, and it wasn't like he would never see him again either. He decided he would thank Gai for what he did.

"Er, um, thanks Superbrow-sensei, for every thing.

Gai smiled at Naruto.

"You're welcome… COME OUR LAST TRAINING SESSION WILL BE THE BEST ONE, A BONFIRE OF YOUTH!!

Stifling a chuckle, Naruto joined Gai and Lee in an all out, three-way taijutsu spar.

* * *

Mizuki chuckled nastily as he sped through the tree tops, he couldn't believe how effortless it had been to steal the Forbidden Scroll of Seals. Once he'd asked for an appointment to the Hokage, it'd been easy pickings from there. All he did was simply knock the Perverted Kage out with a Bunshin of a naked girl. He knew by the time Konoha's Military Police started their search for him he would be already a quarter of a mile away from Konoha. While making his getaway, he decided he wouldn't look at the scroll yet, he needed to make sure the officer-nin couldn't find him.

* * *

Iruka burst into the Hokage's office. 

"Is it true," He said angily. "Did Mizuki really steal the Forbidden Scroll of Seals?"

"Yes, Iruka, but you should-

The Sandaime didn't get to finish, because at "yes" Iruka was already gone, the window he jumped through swinging slowly. The old fires shadow sighed wearily.

Iruka leapt from tree to tree in search of Mizuki. A look of fury was on his face, but betrayal was in his eyes.

'_That bastard, I can't believe I was fooled for so long!"_

Fueled by anger, he put more chakra into his legs and with a burst of speed sped into the tree tops.

Mizuki stopped to rest, tired from sprinting non stop for an hour. He decided he would take a short brake. The purple haired chunin now missing-nin, wiped the sweat off his brow. He was satisfied with the time he'd made. But his satisfaction was abruptly replaced with pain. Iruka leapt out of a tree and with a flying kick, buried his heel into Mizuki's face. With a bone-crunching smash Mizuki went sprawling back and smack into a tree trunk. The Forbidden Scroll of Seals went bouncing back several yards away from the two chunin.

Iruka glared resentfully at Mizuki,

"You traitor." He spat out.

Mizuki got up in a sitting position on the tree. With his back hand he wiped the excess blood spilling out of his mouth. Looking mockingly at Iruka he grinned maliciously.

"So you've found me Iruka, well done, well done."

Mizuki's grin then flashed from a smirk to a sadistic sneer.

"But I hope you don't think you can defeat me. Because then you would be sorely mistaken."

Mizuki reached both hands over his shoulder and pulled out two giant Fuuma Shuriken. In his hands he started to rotate them it faster and faster, until they looked like a circular discs. Cocking his arms back, Mizuki launched the windmill shuriken at Iruka.

* * *

Naruto was walking home quietly, when he heard the alarm, it was like a foghorn only an octave higher. He leapt towards the Hokage Tower as Konoha's non-shinobi populace rushed into their houses. Something was wrong; only Konoha's Military Police used that alarm. whenever that alarm rang, either someone went missing-nin, or something important was stolen. At the last stretch of his destination, Naruto paused. He saw Iruka-sensei leap into the Hokage Tower, and then a scant moment later, burst right out of the Sandaime's window, a look of intense fury on his face. He was headed towards the woods. 

Naruto turned his head towards the Hokage Tower, and then back at Iruka-sensei. He decided he would go with Iruka. Originally, he would've gone to Oji-san to find out what's happened, but something told him that Iruka-sensei would have a part in the what was happening. And if there was something that Naruto loved to do, it was getting a piece of the action. Naruto leapt after Iruka, making sure he was far enough that the enraged pineapple haired chunin couldn't sense him, but close enough to follow.

Iruka and Naruto had been jumping through the forest for what seemed an hour. But he wasn't bored. Naruto marveled at his chunin instructor's tracking ability. Iruka had lead them safely pass traps, dead-ends, and fake trails, he was good, really good! Naruto shook his head, just when you think you know a person. Then Iruka stopped abruptly and disappeared into the undergrowth, there was a clearing up ahead. Naruto quickly leapt behind a thick tree trunk and suppressed his chakra. Turning his head sideways, he peered behind the trunk and at the clearing.

Naruto's eyes widened when he saw Iruka launch himself from a tree and flying kick Mizuki-sensei in the face. _'Why is Iruka-sensei attacking Mizuki-sensei? It doesn't make sense, unless…_Naruto's deduction was cemented when he heard the dialogue between the two shinobi. Even though he was at least twenty yards from the action and surrounded by thick woods, his improved ears could still pick up the sound. _'Mizuki-sensei is a traitor, I knew it.' _Naruto had sensed strange vibes from the lavender haired chunin. He hadn't used anything extraordinary, other than his common sense. But something about Mizuki's aura had just wreaked malice to Naruto. And now his thoughts about Mizuki were confirmed. Naruto crept closer to the action so he could actually see what was going on.

Iruka's eyes widened at the speed of the two shuriken. He leapt into the tree tops just as the two windmill shuriken were upon him. Iruka pulled out a two foot ninjaken from the sheath on his back. Just as he was about to leap after Mizuki, the sound of wood being sawn reached his ears. He looked down and saw the windmill shuriken sawing up his tree. The huge shuriken could follow him! How? Iruka looked quickly at Mizuki, and examined him closely as he leapt from tree to tree dodging the windmill shuriken. Mizuki had his hands raised; moving his fingers in what seemed a random pattern. But Iruka knew better, his opponent was using chakra strings.

* * *

While Iruka and Mizuki were duking it out, Naruto had noticed a huge scroll a yard away from him. It was the biggest scroll he'd ever seen. From the ground it reached his elbow. Naruto peered back at the fighters making sure they were still preoccupied. That done he quietly opened the scroll, it read: **The Forbidden Scroll of Seals.** The blonds' eyes widened at the prospect that lay before him, he grinned greedily, in terms of ninjutsu scrolls, he'd hit the mega-jackpot. But then he felt a stab of guilt, he should be helping Iruka-sensei, not copying down forbidden jutsu, which was illegal anyway. Naruto stared at the fight between Iruka and Mizuki. Hastily taking out a scroll of his own, he proceeded to copy the first three of the ninjutsu. 

Mizuki sadistically laughed out loud at Iruka's plight.

"I see you've figured out how I'm controlling the shuriken Iruka, but that still won't help you!"

Iruka just ignored his opponent's taunts and examined the blades as they flew at him. Waiting for both to get closer, he dodged at the last second and analyzed the windmill shuriken as it zoomed by him. _'The shuriken is spinning at the same speed it was at the beginning of the battle, how?' That's not possible, unless… That's it! Mizuki isn't controlling the windmill shuriken by chakra strings, that's too difficult to learn, and Konoha doesn't have a puppet master, for him to have been taught. No, Mizuki is using something much simpler. He has his chakra surround his blades and lock in on my chakra signature. That keeps the blades spinning and he doesn't have to worry about focusing on them. Hmn…If I can imbue my ninjaken with chakra, then when I deflect the shuriken it should cancel out the chakra surrounding them, and the shuriken will stop._

Iruka suddenly stopped running away from the windmill shuriken. With eyes narrowed, he waited for the shuriken to arrive. Just as they were upon him, he poured his own chakra into his ninjaken and blocked the two shuriken, the chakra from his sword and the two fuuma blades grinded against each other, fighting for supremacy. Iruka's eyes widened when he realized how much chakra was in the shuriken. With a bang a loud explosion rocked the surrounding area.

When he heard the explosion, Naruto hastily rolled the Forbidden Scroll of Seals up and tucked away his own scroll. He knew he should have helped Iruka, instead of being greedy. He got up and surveyed the damage. He let out a sigh of relief. Iruka and Mizuki were now directly fighting, kenjutsu style. And Iruka-sensei was winning! The chunin had another surprise up his sleeve, his proficiency with a sword. Even though Mizuki had a katana, and thus had a longer reach, Iruka-sensei was faster, much faster. So fast in fact that in a few minutes he'd disabled Mizuki.

Mizuki cried out in pain as Iruka disabled him and chopped off his sword arm. Blood gushed out of the stub that was his right arm. It splattered everywhere, on Mizuki, on Iruka, and on the ground. Mizuki dropped to the floor dizzy with the blood loss.

"H…Ho…How, How is you are this strong?" He rasped out feebily. Mizuki thought he had known his ex-friend inside and out. What he hadn't known was that Iruka secretly trained in Kenjutsu with Konoha's resident kenjutsu master, Rashibayai Tsurugi.

Iruka stared down at the trembling Mizuki.

"You of all people should know this; you were a teacher after all. A ninja is a master in the art of deception, and I deceived you into thinking I was weak. I knew something was off about you. You would go away for days and then comeback and resume your life as if nothing was wrong. I saw the secret glares you would give to the academy students. I should have never become your friend; I should have done something sooner. But now I will."

Iruka raised his sword in the stance of the killing stroke.

Naruto's eyes widened, from his angle Iruka couldn't see it, but where he was positioned he could see it clearly. Mizuki had a kunai launcher hidden in his sleeve. Some dark menacing liquid dribbled down the side of the blade, and immediately Naruto knew it was poison. Before Mizuki could press the button that released the catch for the kunai, he lowered his gravity belt all the way, doubling his speed. He used the Shunshin to appear right next to Mizuki and spun kicked him away from Iruka. Before Mizuki could react any further, Naruto's shout rang out through the woods,

**"KATON: GOKAKYU NO JUTSU!"**

Mizuki was incinerated on the spot.

* * *

**_Terms & Jutsu:_**

**_  
Kuchiyose no Jutsu:_**

_Name:__ L__iterally__ "Summoning Technique."_

_Type:__ C-rank, Offensive, Defensive, Supplementary_

_Users:__ Many ninja, usually above Genin rank_

_The basic form of all summoning techniques, this jutsu uses a contract, hand seals, and the user's blood to summon an animal from another dimension. As an alternative to the normal hand seals, the same contract that appears on the ground during the summoning can be drawn by hand and activated, producing the same result. The type of animal summoned is determined by the contract. The blood is used as a signature to make the contract, which can be written on a scroll or tattoo, or seal. Once summoned, the animal can perform a task or help the user in battle._

_The summon is usually subservient to the summoner; however, the more powerful summons demand respect and loyalty from their summoners. Manda even demands hundreds of live human sacrifices. In addition to summoning animals, this jutsu can be used to summon weapons sealed away in a scroll of sorts, providing the user with more space to store weapons and less weight when traveling on extended missions._

_**Uchiha Clan: **__Once considered to be one of the most powerful clans in Konohagakure, the__ clan__ is now virtually extinct, with only three known living members remaining. Uchiha is a paper fan, which is coincidentally the Uchiha clan symbol. Uchiha can be used to fan flames, making the flame hotter — referring to the fact that the Uchiha is a clan of fire-jutsu users._

_The Uchiha specialize in fire jutsu like the Fire Release: Great Fireball. Clan members are properly recognized by the rest of the clan when they become proficient in these fire jutsu. Uchiha clan members also possess the Sharingan, a kekkei genkai which gives them the ability to copy their opponent's jutsu, among other benefits._

_It is said that one of the ancestors of the Uchiha clan founded the Konoha Military Police, and the organization itself largely consisted of members of the Uchiha clan until recently. Currently, there are only three known surviving members of the clan: Sasuke Uchiha and his brother Uchiha Itachi, and the mysterious Uchiha Madara. _

_**Forbidden Scroll of Seals:**_ _One of Konoha's most treasured items; it contains the most powerful jutsu the village has to offer. Ranging from B to S-rank, the jutsu locked within the Scroll are too dangerous for most shinobi to learn or use wisely._

_**Konoha's Military Police: **__The Konoha Military Police Force is a unique organization in Konoha. The Military Police previously consisted of mostly Uchiha clan; however, now that most members of the clan are dead, this is no longer the case. The Military Police are in charge of law enforcement within the village, and their jurisdiction is virtually unlimited except in matters that are under the Hokage's direct control. They also respect ANBU's own investigative system and inner-organization discipline. Their symbol is the Uchiha crest because the Uchiha family founded the organization._

_**Missing-nin: **__Missing-nin are ninja who have abandoned their Hidden Village, and include ninja of every rank. These ninja are considered traitors and are hunted down because of the secrets they may hold. Other Hidden Villages would be interested in this information because it could be useful in gaining an upper hand over another village. Villages create special units of hunter-nin to take care of this problem._

_**Kenjutsu**__: Simply the art of fighting with a sword._

* * *

**AN: PLEASE REVIEW!**


	13. Naruto's Not So New Genin Squad

**Chapter 12: Naruto's Not So New Genin Team**

* * *

**Last Chapter:**

**_Naruto's eyes widened, from his angle Iruka couldn't see it, but where he was positioned he could see it clearly. Mizuki had a kunai launcher hidden in his sleeve. Some dark menacing liquid dribbled down the side of the blade, and immediately Naruto knew it was poison. Before Mizuki could press the button that released the catch for the kunai, he lowered his gravity belt all the way, doubling his speed. He used the Shunshin to appear right next to Mizuki and spun kicked him away from Iruka. Before Mizuki could react any further, Naruto's shout rang out through the woods, "KATON: GOKAKYU NO JUTSU!" Mizuki was incinerated on the spot._**

* * *

Iruka stared at Naruto, not believing his eyes. One moment he had his sword raised to kill Mizuki and the next, Naruto had appeared out of nowhere and cremated Mizuki. Comically enough, Naruto had killed Mizuki so fast that Iruka was still in the killing stance, his sword still raised. Iruka slowly lowered his sword and sheathed it still gazing at Naruto. 

"How…Wha…Where…Huh?" Iruka stuttered out. The fact that Naruto had actually killed someone, and seemingly without remorse, shocked Iruka.

Naruto stared sheepishly at Iruka.

"I followed you."

Iruka must have found his voice back. Because the next thing that came out of his mouth was a yell.

"WHY!? Dammit Naruto if I'd wanted help I would've asked for it! What the hell were you thinking following me?!"

The guilty blond didn't get to answer; a squadron of Konoha's MP (Military Police) appeared one by one surrounding Iruka and Naruto. The squad leader, distinguished by his green arm sash, barked at the two surrounded ninja.

"Don't move a muscle, and put your hands where I can see them! Where is the Forbidden Scroll of Seals?!"

With wide eyes Iruka and Naruto put there hands up. Iruka looked around frantically, just remembering the reason why he had attacked Mizuki. Naruto pointed to the bushes he'd leapt out of and spoke up.

"It's over there."

The MP's squad leader pointed at one of his team, and ordered him to check it out.

When the MP emerged out of the bush with the scroll of seals, the squad leader turned back at Iruka and Naruto.

"Where's the thief?"

Iruka pointed at the pile of ash behind him. It was still smoldering with heat and wisps of smoke rose gently from the embers."

The squad leader peered over Iruka and grimaced at the embers, people burnt to a crisp were hard identify, luckily there were some bones still sitting in the hot pile of ash. If there was any trace of chakra in them they'd find it and be able to identify whose bones they were. He had one of his team place the bones in a sterile plastic bag. Turning around he pointed at Naruto.

"Why are you here? The Hokage informed us that only he," the squad leader jerked his head at Iruka, "would be here."

Naruto looked awkwardly at his interrogator.

"Well I…uh, followed him."

The leader looked hard at Naruto.

"Why?" He simply stated.

Naruto was getting annoyed. _'What is this "20 Questions?"_

"Look, I know Iruka sensei, and I followed him to know what he was doing, 'cause he looked pretty pissed."

The squad leader looked at Naruto and Iruka for a moment. Then he spoke up.

"We're going to search you to make sure you don't have copies of the Forbidden Scroll, Asari, search them"

Asari nodded and walked up to Naruto and Iruka. He had pale white eyes that marked him as part of the Hyuga clan. The Hyuga activated his and the veins surrounding them bulged, as if extra blood was being pumped there. Asari stared at them, moving his head up and down. When he was done, Asari stepped back into position.

"They are clean, senpai."

The squad leader nodded and motioned Iruka and Naruto to follow.

"Lets get back to Konoha."

* * *

It turned out the squad leader didn't trust Naruto and Iruka, because when they got back to Konoha, the first thing he did was take them to Oji-san. When they were finally cleared for release, Naruto and Iruka walked out of the Hokage Tower together. As they strolled down the street, Iruka looked down at Naruto. 

"Naruto, when and where did you learn the Gokakyu?" Iruka inquired.

The blond in question almost stumbled; he had expected Iruka to keep scolding him.

"This pervert old ninja gave me the scroll to learn it. I think his name was Jiraiya."

Iruka's eyes widened, he was surprised to say the least.

"You received teaching from a Sannin?!"

Naruto sniggered.

"Jiraiya taught me diddly-squat; all he did was give me the scroll, I had to learn the jutsu on my own."

Iruka shook his head as he thought of what Naruto had done with the jutsu. The blond had toasted Mizuki with a fireball the size of an elephant. For some reason the thought of twelve year olds killing people sounded wrong to Iruka. It just wasn't right.

"Naruto, you know Mizuki was you first kill?"

Naruto wrinkled his nose and just stared ahead.

"You wanna talk about it? I know I had a rough time with my first kill."

"Actually, I don't feel that bad Iruka-sensei. Mizuki was going to kill you and I couldn't let that happen."

Naruto stared at Iruka's puzzled expression. Last time Iruka checked, he was the one standing over Mizuki, with both his arms.

"I never told you why I killed Mizuki, did I? The traitor had a poisoned kunai hidden under his sleeve; he would have shot it at you if I hadn't done something."

Iruka just shook his.

"Well, I'm glad the situation turned out all right. But did you have to kill him? I wanted to do that…"

Naruto and Iruka both laughed.

* * *

Naruto had fooled the MP big time. Before he'd helped Iruka with Mizuki he had hidden the scroll under the roots of a marked tree, the scent of the approaching MP had already reached his nose. After Iruka was done scolding him he went back to retrieve the scroll. 

Naruto sat on his futon, the scroll with the copied jutsu spread out on the bed sheet. The jutsu he'd copied were:

**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu: **

**Bunshin Daibakuha**

**Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**

Naruto read the descriptions of the forbidden jutsu, and smirked as he did so. As jutsu went for genin he'd gotten a good haul. The Kage Bunshin would allow him to create actual tangible clones of himself! His clones would be even capable of performing jutsu on their own. Naruto's face fell when he read the rest of the description; the clones disperse after one or two solid blows. Moving on, he read the description of the Bunshin Daibakuha. It works in combination with the Kage Bunshin to create a shadow clone that will explode on command. The blast radius is dependant on the chakra fed to the jutsu, and could potentially kill an attacker engaged in hand-to-hand combat…Nice… After seeing what the first two jutsu could do, Naruto hurried on to the next. But was disappointed, all that one did was create multiple copies of the shuriken to make them more powerful. Naruto decided it was still worth his time to learn it. The blond spent the night learning, the jutsu in anticipation of tomorrow; when he'd be assigned his genin team of three.

* * *

Haruno Sakura had dreamed of this day since she was a little girl. It was one of the most important days in her shinobi career, the day that she would finally become a genin, and by doing so, win over Sasuke-kun. But then, by some unfortunate stroke of bad luck, she had managed to meet up with Ino-pig on the way to the academy. It was supposed to be a day without any interference. She sighed internally. She supposed that true love with Sasuke simply wasn't meant to be. 

"DAMMIT! SASUKE-KUN IS MINE!" Inner Sakura raged on. And with a determined visage, Sakura raced Ino all the way to the Academy.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha stared at the wall mirror in front of him; more specifically he was staring at his reflection. Even more specifically he was staring at his face. And more precisely he was staring at his eyes. Sasuke stared, and stared…and stared. He had done it. He'd actually done it. He would be one step closer to his life's goal. He, Uchiha Sasuke had awoken his Sharingan eyes. There was one black tomoe in each of his red eyes, the first level of three. From now on whenever he fought he'd be able to know his opponents moves before they happened. 

The Sharingan was a right of passage, of many, for the Uchiha clan. Once someone from the clan attained the special dojutsu they were considered adults. If Sasuke still had his parents, the clan still alive, there would have been a big celebration in his honor. But thanks to that one person, his brother, Uchiha Itachi that would never happen. Sasuke remembered that day painfully…

* * *

_Flashback:_

_It was morning in Konoha. The type of morning that makes you wants to step out and take a deep breath, a beautiful morning. The sun shone merrily over the Uchiha compound and a soft breeze caressed the people as they strolled or did there morning chores._

_An eight year old Sasuke woke up to this morning. He lay on his futon, a broad smile on his face as he stared out of his window. The day was going to be perfect, he could tell. Sasuke was jolted from his happy thoughts by the sound of his mother, Uchiha Mitoko._

"_Sasuke you're going to be late for the Academy"_

_He heard his mother walk up the stairs to his room, the muffled padding of her feet as she walked up to his door. The door frame slid open and Uchiha Mitoko stared frustrated at her son, hands on her hips._

"_It's your first day, and you oversleep!"_

"_Okay, okay…I'm up, I'm up!"_

_Mitoko shook her head at her son._

"_You are just like your father."_

_Sasuke looked up startled, but before he could ask his mom for more info, she was already moving down the steps. He was like his father? He hardly knew Uchiha Fugaku, the man that called himself his father. Sasuke hardly heard any descriptions of him from any of his parents. All he really knew was that his father was captain of the Konoha Military Police. He also knew that his father was so serious, that Sasuke couldn't see how he was related. He thought he was more like his mother, who was kind hearted, and friendly._

_Sasuke shook himself from his thoughts, he had a Ninja Academy to attend. He quickly put on his blue shirt and pants and hopped about trying to get his sandals on. Rushing down the stairs he gave his mother a quick kiss, bowed to his father and grabbed a piece of toast and the lunch bag waiting for him on the kitchen table._

"_Sasuke wait!" Mitoko yelled after her son. But he was already turning the street corner. Mitoko shook her head as she stared lovingly at her son…_

* * *

Sasuke never did get to know what his mom had called him back for, but did it really matter? More memories of that day swam in his mind…

* * *

_Sasuke kept running, frantically trying to make it in time for school. He said hello to a kind old couple as he ran by them. They spurred him on; knowing today was the first day of the Ninja Academy. _

"_It wouldn't do to have the second heir in line to the Uchiha clan be late for the academy." They said with smiles._

_Sasuke greeted them quickly as he ran by, he had a smile on his face._

"_Ohayo, oji-san!"_

_Ohayo, oba-san!"_

_But when Sasuke passed them, his smile disappeared. People always did that, even his family. They would describe him as second heir to the Uchiha clan or younger brother of Uchiha Itachi, the genius prodigy. It was never "Hello Sasuke, how are you doing?" no, it was "You going to be like your brother, Sasuke? You going to make the Uchiha clan proud like your genius brother Sasuke?" It got on his nerves it did. Living in his brothers shadow was really hard, and not to mention annoying._

_Sasuke's thoughts were interrupted when he smacked into someone._

"_Gomenasai," he started. But he quieted when he saw who it was, his brother, Uchiha Itachi. Sasuke stared at his brother, who had his hand out._

"_You should look at where you are going, foolish brother," said Itachi as he helped his brother up. Sasuke glowered defiantly at his older brother._

"_Oi, I'm not foolish aniki!"_

_Itachi looked amused as he stared down at his younger brother._

"_I'm sorry, did I say foolish? I meant clumsy…"_

_Sasuke pouted as his brother dissed him. Itachi chuckled silently at his brother's face._

"_You are to serious, foolish brother of mine. Tell you what, if I walk with you to the Academy and help you with your kunai practice later, will you lighten up?"_

_Sasuke smiled at this. He hardly got to spend time with his aniki, and he relished the times he did._

"_You promise aniki?"_

"_I never go back on my word Sasuke, you know that. Come on."_

_Sasuke took his brother's hand and the both walked to the Ninja Academy._

_It was now evening, but the sun still shone brightly, and the wind still blowing. Sasuke ran home a smile on his face. He couldn't wait to tell his mom about the academy and train with his aniki! Sasuke put on an extra burst of speed, anticipating spending some time with his family._

* * *

Remembering back on that day, Sasuke stood there and struggled to recall the first signs of something wrong. Was it the fact that the whole Uchiha sector of Konoha had been dead silent? Was it the fact that people lay strewn all over the road, body parts hacked apart, their blood dyeing the roads a haunting crimson? Sasuke couldn't remember…

* * *

_Sasuke stared with teary eyes at the gruesome image in front of him. All over the road, the Uchiha clan lay dead. Some were hacked apart, some burnt, their skin peeling off, like orange rinds. Sasuke choked as he saw the old couple with blood still dripping out of the murderous holes in their guts, not his grandparents! Sasuke ran on, stumbling over dead body parts, almost numb from all the blood., Sasuke landed on his hands as he tripped, not wanting to look at what he tripped on, but still drawn he looked over his back. What he saw would revisit his nightmares for the rest of his life. A bloody head lay on its side, unattached from its body. The face of the victim had the look of grisly surprise on it, as if the person hadn't seen the sword that chopped its head off. Sasuke held back a sob as he ran on. As he dashed through the streets he saw a familiar lookin figure standing on the rooftops. A eerie red moon was behind him, bathing the dark figure m in red light. Before Sasuke could recognize the person, the mysterious ninja leapt towards his house!_

_Sasuke's distressed eyes widened further; something told him the person he had seen was responsible for what was happening. The traumatized boy headed to his house, he desperately wanted to make sure his parents were not dead. Sasuke stopped at the front door of his house and burst through it. Looking at his living room, he saw everything was as it should be. But Sasuke's head perked up when he heard noises coming from his parent's room. H dashed towards the stairs, hoping to Kami that what he thought was happening, wasn't._

_He stopped at the door of his parent's and heard a wet "thwip". Sasuke gasped and trembled as he slowly slid the door open. _

_Sasuke fell to his knees as he gazed before him. The dark figure he'd seen earlier was hidden behind the shadows, a sword dripping with blood in his hands. The hidden figure was standing over his parents. Uchiha Fugaku and his wife Uchiha Mitoko knelt down on the floor, as if waiting for slaughter in a sick assembly line of death. Their eyes were glazed over, they looked unconscious. The figure slowly raised his sword over his parents. In a split second, both his parent's blood-splattered heads were rolling towards Sasuke. _

_Sasuke's wailing scream pierced the evening._

"_Are you done?" The figure asked. Sasuke started from his violent trembling as he looked at the figure, he knew that voice! _

"_A…Aniki?" He said shakily._

_The figure slowly stepped out from the shadows, bit by painful bit, more of Uchiha Itachi stepped into the light of the setting sun._

"_You guessed right my foolish brother." He said softly. _

_Sasuke's body was convulsing by now, something in his brain had snapped, and with a sinking feeling, Sasuke knew his sanity was gone._

"_NO! Why aniki? Why?"_

_Uchiha Itachi, pride of the Uchiha clan, the heir to one of Konoha's most prestigious Ninja, shrugged to himself, as he stared at his raised grisly sword._

"_I was bored, and this clan of mine makes me sick." I needed a challenge, and our repulsive clan gave me that. He said matter of factly, as if killing of your whole clan was an everyday event._

_Sasuke clutched his head with both his hands, his eyes were bloated with tears, his face red._

"_Yo…you mean to say that you killed our family, a…as some sort of sick entertainment?"_

"_Why yes my foolish brother of mine. In fact, I'm wondering whether I should kill you now, or wait when you get stronger and fight me. What do you think, brother?"_

_Sasuke's already wide eyes leapt out of their sockets. With a loud bang Sasuke burst passed his parent's bedroom door, out the front door and on to the street. He had to get away! His brother was insane! Sasuke dashed through the streets of the Uchiha compound screaming his shaking heart out,_

"_HELP, HELP ME!"_

_Sasuke slipped on blood and fell into a puddle of it. His brother was standing on the rooftops looking down at him._

"_Your screams are pointless, but don't worry I won't kill you…yet."_

_Sasuke's face was now covered in blood, but he didn't care. He was terrified of his brother._

"_Ple…Please don't kill me!" He stuttered out._

_Itachi shook his head at Sasuke, as if reprimanding the eight year old of something he had done. My foolish, foolish little brother; I said I wouldn't kill you didn't I? I never go back on my word. No, I have decided that I will let you live."_

_Itachi's voice went from soft to murderous. _

_Hate me, Sasuke, Hate me so that it consumes your life. When you have become strong because of your hatred, seek me out for revenge; seek me out for retribution for our pathetic clan. Then, my foolish brother, we shall fight to the death."_

_Right after he was done speaking, Itachi activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. His red eyes locked gazes with the black of Sasuke's eyes. In one second he had tortured his eight year old brother for three days. __And with a whoosh of leaves, Uchiha Itachi was gone._

_Sasuke had kept screaming even when the ANBU had arrived...  
_

* * *

Sasuke trembled and clutched his head as the memories and disturbing images rocked his feeble sanity. But as he stared at his Sharingan eyes, a miniscule amount of relief steadied him. He would get revenge; he was going to get retribution. 

"I _will _kill you aniki! If it's the last thing I do!"

* * *

The new genin twittered full of excitement. The day had come! The day that they became official ninja! Naruto sat with Shikamaru and the other's as they animatedly discussed what being a ninja would be like. Pictures of grandeur and fame came foremost in there heads. Naruto turned his head over to Shikamaru. 

"So, Shika. What are you going to do as a ninja?"

Shikamaru was currently asleep, his head resting on his arms and feet on the table; all he said was:

"Ugh, troublesome…"

Naruto shook his head and chuckled at his friends antics. His mirth was immediately replaced with a pained grimace when Sakura and Ino walked into the room.

"I GOT INTO THE ROOM FIRST INO-PIG!"

"NO WAY FOREHEAD GIRL! MY FOOT IS AT LEAST AN INCH AHEAD OF YOURS!"

Naruto clutched his head at the relentless screeching.

"Ino kept shrieking, but it was all lost on Sakura. Her attention was diverted elsewhere. With a pathetic look of sappy adoration on her face, the pink haired fan girl made her way over to Sasuke, who had been sitting alone. Thankfully, to Naruto's relief Sakura spoke a lot more quietly.

"Sasuke-kun! Can I sit next to you?"

"No." Sasuke said quietly.

For a split second, Sakura looked sad. I mean even with his demonized eyes Naruto just barely caught it. But Sakura had seemingly shaken this off, for she sat on the seat any way. Naruto shook his head, almost pitying Sasuke…almost.

"All right brats listen up! The nine of you have graduated, and I'm actually proud of you. The next step is to split you nine into three squads of three and put you with a jonin to teach and train you. The squads are like this:

"Team 7: Sasuke Uchiha…"

Both Ino and Sakura crossed their fingers, hoping to Kami they were on Sasuke's Team.

"Haruno Sakura…"

Sakura literally leapt for joy, _'CHAA! LOVE CONQUERS ALL!!'_ Inner Sakura yelled with a fist upraised. Ino, however had a look of total dejection and cried.

Iruka shook his head and continued,

"And last but not least, Naruto Uzumaki… your jonin instructor is Hatake Kakashi."

Naruto had a look of utter horror on his face. Him? With the Emo and Fangirl? That would not work. For the rest of the announcements, Naruto sat there frozen, the look of horror still plastered to his face.

Iruka continued,

Team 8: Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino… your jonin instructor is Yuhi Kurenai.

Hinata had a smile on her face, her team wasn't bad and she already knew Kurenai. Below her, Ino was arguing with Shikamaru.

"What do you see in Sasuke, Ino? He's mean, rude and a spoiled brat." Shikamaru said to Ino.

"You wouldn't understand Shikamaru." Ino retorted. A vein ticked on the Nara's head.

"You're right I wouldn't understand, I'm not some emo hungry fan girl."

"You're jealous aren't you?" When Shikamaru didn't reply, Ino shook her head at Shikamaru's jealousy. "Jealousy is such an ugly thing; I hope I'm not on your team.

Team 10: Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji; your jonin instructor is Sarutobi Asuma.

Shikamaru chuckled at Ino's incredulous face.

After everyone had left with their jonin instructor's Naruto sat on the bleacher's the look of shock still on his face. He was going to be on a genin squad with Sasuke and Sakura?

Of list of things he did not like, those two were ranked second and third under the villager's. And the fact that Kakashi was their jonin-sensei only made it worse. Hatake was the laziest and tardiest s.o.b Naruto had ever met, and he always made up unbelievable lies for his excuses. Naruto shook his head when he thought about the eccentric jonin.

For two hours Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, the new Team 7 waited for their jonin-sensei, Hatake Kakashi.

* * *

_**Terms & Jutsu:**_

_**Bunshin Daibakuha:**_

_Name:__ L__iterally__ "Clone Great Explosion."_

_Type:__ A-rank, Offensive, Short range (0-5m)_

_This jutsu works in combination with the Shadow Clone Technique to create a shadow clone that will explode on command. The blast created is considerable, and could potentially kill an attacker engaged in hand-to-hand combat._

_**Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**_

_Name:__L__iterally__ "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique_

_Type:__ A-rank, Offensive, Short to mid-range (0-10m)_

_A modification of the Shadow Clone Technique, the user throws one shuriken at the victim and then uses this jutsu to create multiple copies of the shuriken to make the attack more powerful. _

_**Aniki: **__Older brother.  
_

_**Ohayo**: Good morning_

_**Mangekyo Sharingan**: or "Kaleidoscope Copy Wheel Eye" is a heightened form of Sharingan. The Mangekyo Sharingan is distinguished from a normal Sharingan through its appearance, which changes the form of the tomoe seal to a curve three pointed shuriken.Those who have the potential to obtain it must make a great sacrifice in order to obtain it—according to Itachi's situation, they must kill their closest friend. It has also been implied that use of the Mangekyo Sharingan may deteriorate the user's normal eyesight.  
In the long history of the Uchiha clan, only a few have been able to obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan. _

* * *

_**AN: PLEASE REVIEW!!**_


	14. The Epic Tale of Team Seven Begins

**Chapter 13: The Epic Tale of Team Seven Begins**

* * *

**Last Chapter:**

_After everyone had left with their jonin instructor's, Naruto sat on the bleachers, the look of shock still on his face. He was going to be on a genin squad with Sasuke and Sakura?_

_Of list of things he did not like, those two were ranked second and third under the villagers. And the fact that Kakashi was their jonin-sensei only made it worse. Hatake was the laziest and tardiest s.o.b Naruto had ever met, and he always made up unbelievable lies for his excuses. Naruto shook his head when he thought about the eccentric jonin. For two hours Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, the new Team 7 waited for their jonin-sensei, Hatake Kakashi._

* * *

A soft ray of sunlight shone through the open window of a small, but well furnished apartment bedroom. The apartment only had two rooms; a bedroom outfitted with a small bathroom and a cross between a living room and kitchen… a bachelor pad of sorts. In the bedroom, the bathroom door lay open and items of clothing flung lazily on the floor led from it to the futon. A gentle breeze from the gaping window blew across the room, caressing the futon's sleeping occupant; he lay sprawled on his back, mouth wide open, a pool of drool gurgling as his chest slowly rose and fell with each breathe. A brightly orange colored book with the words: Come Come Paradise written on the cover, lay next to him 

The man had blood slowly leaking out of his nose, his face flush from his perverted dreams. The sleeping pervert suddenly held in a breath, his obviously perverted dreams were becoming more lecherous, and more drool was being manufactured from his mouth, a small trickle of it even overflowed to the side of his face. As the wind blew idly into the bedroom window, it ruffled sleeper's silver-white hair. The man snorted as tendrils of the hair tickled his face, this turned out to be not such a good idea. Incidentally as he snorted, he breathed in some of the drool in his mouth. His eyes flung themselves open as he desperately tried to cough up his dribble.

Kakashi shook his head as he realized what he was choking on. At first he thought he was being suffocated from a ninja attack. But instead he had awoken to drool all over his chest. Even though there was no one looking, Kakashi was embarrassed; Sharingan Kakashi, he, the copy wheel ninja had almost been suffocated by his own saliva. His embarrassment turned into utter shame now to mention it. What if he had actually died? He, who had successfully completed over 100 S-class missions; done in by saliva, Kakashi stifled an amused snort and looked at his alarm clock and calendar. His right eyebrow rose as he looked at the date and time, Saturday 10:00 A.M.

'_Hmmm, I wonder if there are any good Saturday morning cartoons on the tube.'_

Kakashi turned his small T.V. and turned the channel to Cartoon Network. _The Adventures of Tom and Jerry _was on; Kakashi smiled and got up to do his daily morning rituals. After he bathed, brushed his teeth and got dressed, he flopped down on his futon and watched Tom the Cat try and catch Jerry the Mouse. Jerry would always fool Tom, with some clever trick and even though he was a lot less bigger then Tom, he always won out in the end. Kakashi chuckled as he thought of how many ninja battles he had won just from using ideas from the two's antics.

* * *

Naruto's mood was going from bad to worse. Not only was he going to be on a team with Sasuke and Sakura, his jonin-sensei was going to be Hatake Kakashi. Now Naruto had nothing personal against the ninja; in fact he was somewhat grateful. Without Kakashi, he wouldn't have known half the jutsu he did now. But the ninja was way too damn lazy and irresponsible! He stared at the clock, it was 10:00 A.M. exactly one hour, forty-two minutes and five seconds had already passed since Iruka had divided them into teams and Team Seven was still waiting. Team Eight and Team Ten had already left with their sensei almost two hours ago. Naruto thought about what the tardy jonin might be doing and a sneer crossed his face. 

'_He's probably watching some cartoons…"_

Naruto shook his head and stared at Sasuke and Sakura. The emo was currently sitting on his haunches poised as if he was a monk. While Sakura was lying on her back staring at the ceiling, muttering to herself. To most people, she was quiet, but he heard her loud and clear.

"99, 100, 102, ahhh, 103…"

Naruto couldn't stop a laugh from bursting out his chest. Sakura had actually been counting the number of tiles on the ceiling!

Sakura stopped her muttering and looked at Naruto, puzzled. His eyes, which were staring at her, were full of mirth.

"What's so funny?"

Naruto just chuckled, "Nothing, really it's nothing."

Sakura shook her head and resumed her counting; Naruto continued to chuckle.

* * *

While he was eating his breakfast during a commercial break, Kakashi's eyes happened to glance at his calendar again. His eyes widened. The calendar had a bold red note written on the date block for today. 

"**NEW GENIN ARE CHOSEN TODAY! GET YOUR ASS UP AND GO TO THE ACADEMY NOW KAKASHI!"**

Kakashi stared incredulously at the calendar. _'Wha..? When did that get there, and how did I not see that when I woke up?'_

Kakashi just shrugged, he put his face mask on and his flack jacket, his favorite book in hand. With a whoosh of leaves Kakashi was gone.

Kurenai rubbed her head in frustration outside Kakashi's window. After she gave her team some training instructions, she had gone back to the academy to check on Team Seven. And like she thought, they were still there. So she did what she did every year, she reminded Kakashi of his duty as a jonin. Last year, she'd actually awoken Kakashi by infiltrating his dreams and performed a genjutsu of every heterosexual mans' nightmare. In his "dream" she had Kakashi bound by rope and castrated with a dull rusty kunai while being anally raped with a foot long dildo by Anko Mitarashi. To this day, he had an unnatural fear of rusted kunai, and for six months you couldn't get him near the purple haired tokubetsu jonin, not even on missions, no matter how much the Hokage ordered him. It had taken a painful counseling session with Konoha's Torturer and Interrogator, Morino Ibiki and then several apologies from Kurenai. But even then, when ever he saw a rusty kunai or Anko he would sweat hooribly and start convulsing in fear. Kakashi was scarred for life.

'_You're positive that it was just a genjutsu?'_ He'd asked._  
_

Kurenai chuckled to herself. Before that, Kakashi's irresponsible attitude had got on her nerves and she had decided he needed a wake up call. But seeing that he had actually been very very very, very disturbed by her genjutsu, she decided she would be nicer to the jonin this year and just remind him gently, with no traumatizing.

* * *

Kakashi reappeared in front of the steps to the academy. With a sigh he slid open the doors to the academy and slowly sauntered in._ 'Here we go again,'_ he thought to himself. 

While Sasuke and Sakura were sleeping, Naruto woke up from his slumber; he'd heard footsteps outside the door. And well, he was still pissed; narrowing his eyes, he glared at Kakashi as he walked in. _'Three hours, three fucking hours! I've been waiting for Kakashi for three fucking hours!' _Naruto gnashed his teeth as he thought of the time he'd wasted.

Kakashi took a look around the room, as if sizing up exactly what he had walked in on. Sakura and Sasuke were both asleep, however when he saw Naruto glaring at him, the jonin dropped the orange book he was holding and stared wide eyed and slack jawed at Naruto. He knew Naruto, and if there was one thing he knew about the blond, it was that Naruto had a short temper. And if you happen to make Naruto angry enough, he could make your life hell. And Kakashi knew he'd made the blond angry; there was enough killing intent pouring from Naruto that he was amazed Sasuke and Sakura weren't awake yet.

Kakashi eyebrows rose. _'Angry much?' _A long pause followed Kakashi's surprise, and you could cut the awkwardness and tension in the air with a kunai. But the jonin seemed to regain his composure because he just smirked at Naruto, and with closed amused eyes, giving the only real indication that he was smiling, he uttered his first words to Team Seven.

"So you're going to be on my team, uh Naruto? Well whoopdy fucking doo, wake up the two wannabes and meet me on the roof in one minute, or you'll never see me again. Ja ne!"

With that, Kakashi disappeared with a whoosh of leaves, leaving Naruto to near face-fault from what he'd heard. Now Naruto was even more incensed. But he decided he would get his sweet revenge later…and it would be sweet. Naruto made his way towards his team. He grudgingly stared at his team mates and decided when he woke them up, he would hold nothing back. Walking up to Sasuke, he cocked his foot back and gave the sleeping genin a satisfying kick in the ribs. With a painful gasp, Sasuke eyes flew open and he glared murderously at Naruto. His fist instantly moved to hit in Naruto's direction, but before he could do anything the blond had already moved on to his next victim.

He stooped down on the balls of his feet, his mouth located next to the unsuspecting girl's ear. Filling his lungs with chakra and air, Naruto screamed into the sensitive organ.

"**WAKE UP SAKURA!!!"**

With a shriek, Sakura started gracelessly.

While Sakura started shrieking at him about how rude he was, Naruto just turned his back on the girl. Still glowering he walked up the stairs to the roof, his two murderous teammates behind him.

* * *

Naruto felt great. As he was walking up the stairs, keenly aware of Sakura and Sasuke's attempt to penetrate his skull with their eyes, he realized that he had gotten quite the load off his chest, by hitting them. He almost chuckled to himself. The look on Sakura's face had been priceless. Surprise, indignation, anger …all of them had passed on her face as she jumped in fright. Then as the team continued their ascent to the rooftop, a stab of guilt penetrated Naruto's chest. He knew Sasuke and Sakura didn't deserve that type of treatment… well at least he knew Sakura didn't. In the matter of the emo he would wait and see. But he decided he would act more nicely to his teammates. 

The team finally arrived at the door opening to the roof; Sasuke followed Naruto as they passed through the door, where their goofy looking jonin-sensei was waiting for them. Naruto managed to sit with Sasuke on his right and Sakura on his left, facing their Sensei, who he noticed was giving them strange and an almost calculating eye looks every now and again. As if he was searching for something in Team Seven.

"So, you're Team Seven? I'm your jonin instructor. Let's get acquainted with each other before we start anything else. At this, Sasuke felt a trickle of annoyance; he wanted to get the training started immediately, screw getting acquainted with his team.

"You with the pink hair, go first." The silver haired man simply pointed to the still angry girl sitting to Sasuke's right, and a confused expression graced her face.

"Ne, Sensei, What do you mean? What should we say?" Sakura's confusion seemed to amuse Kakashi because she was answered with a lazy chuckle from their sensei, who turned his head upwards to glance at the clouds.

"You know, your likes, your dislikes, your hobbies… your dreams, that sort of thing." Sakura scrunched her eyes in an expression of thought. She notice Naruto shaking his head at her and her dormant anger returned back in full force.

"Oi, Sakura just tell him about yourself, that's not so hard is it?" Sakura face turned red in anger; just about she was going to make a retort, Kakashi, lazily but wisely, interrupted her.

"Maa, we are a team lets try not to fight each other."

Sakura turned her glare from Naruto and her face lit up from what she thought was a clever idea. "Why don't you go first? After all, we have no clue who you are!"

She seemed pleased with herself for thinking up such a bright idea. Kakashi only chuckled slightly at Sakura before glancing at the clouds once more. He rubbed his head, as if he had to think just to remember his name.

"Okay, let's see here…I'm called Hatake Kakashi. I am fond of a lot of things…I dislike some stuff…" Kakashi paused again and sighed. "I have many hobbies…" "As for my dream…hmm, I'll tell you when you've earned my respect." Kakashi's gaze stayed upward, he looked as if he was drunk. Sakura whispered to the group, "_So all we got to know was his name?_" Naruto nodded his head slightly and the whole Team Seven stared at the lazily jonin incredulously, if this was going to be their sensei, then they were screwed.

"So, pinky, you're up, again." Sakura pouted slightly at being called pinky, but it was quickly dispelled as she shot a sidelong glance to Sasuke, blushing the whole time. "My name is Haruno Sakura…I like…" She shot another sidelong glance to Sasuke. Naruto shook his head and revised his earlier thoughts; if this was what just one of his teammates was like, _then _they were screwed. Sakura continued. "My dislikes…definitely Ino-pig! And mean people who shout in peoples ears!" With that, she threw a glare at Naruto, who smiled sheepishly. "My hobbies…" She giggled again, and every one else knew what she had on her mind… "My dream…" She completely flipped out at this point, losing what little composure she had left, squealing silently to herself and going into a giggle fit of legendary fan girl proportions, after shooting another side long glance at Sasuke of course.

Kakashi resisted the urge to groan. One of his genin was pathetic fangirl who squeals like a baby pig. _'Girls of this age are more interested in love than jutsu.' _Recalling that the girl on his team when he was young was like that, he shook his head in deja vu. Moving on, he gestured to Sasuke. "Emo, go."

Sasuke glared at Kakashi, it seemed his sensei had joined the short list of people who called him that, and the term was starting to get on his nerves. He paused to think for a moment, his head resting on his hands, before replying in his cold and monotone voice. "I am Uchiha Sasuke. I have only a few likes, and I dislike a lot of things." For a split second, Sasuke shifted his eyes at Sakura, only Naruto and Kakashi noticed. I have no hobbies, except for training. As for a dream I have…an ambition. To revive my clan and to kill…a certain man." Sasuke finished on a cold note, and at "reviving a clan," Sakura's incessant giggling started up all over.

Kakashi simply stared at the boy_. 'Ugh…an avenger. This is going to be pain in the ass, I just know it.' _He put his thoughts aside for the moment, and finally pointed to the person he was truly curious about. Even though he had already met Naruto and even taught him a few jutsu, he hadn't really made an effort to get to know him. "Naruto, go."

Naruto didn't answer for a second. He knew he had a lot of dislikes and very few likes, but he didn't want to sound like the emo sitting to his right. _'Whatever,'_ he thought, screw whatever they thought, it'd never stopped him before. Staring at Kakashi, Naruto started his brief and small bio.

"As you already know, my name is Uzumaki Naruto. My likes…are the few people in this village who treat me with respect and love…and training… "My dislikes…most of the people in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. At this Sasuke and Sakura both gave him a surprised stare. His tone was almost as cold and hardhearted as Sasuke's, and to hear that he didn't like the village… it was startling to say the least. "My hobbies… I don't really have any. My dream…" Naruto closed his eyes for a second, trying to contemplate what his dream really was.

Up until last week before he'd changed his only dream was to gain acknowledgement, and not be ridiculed for bad chakra control. Now, however…things were different, he had better control. Now he was a genin, a ninja. And as such it meant that he was a protector of the village he hated. He knew Oji-san loved the village, but he couldn't figure out why. He still wanted respect from the village and his peers, he still wanted them to recognize his power …but…he also wanted to know why someone could love Konoha, and more especially he wanted to be able to call it his home.

A small frown crossed his visage, but he continued with the last part of his discussion. "My dream is to make this village see just exactly who I am, but more importantly, my dream is to understand the Sandaime's love for this godforsaken village, to understand why I should die for it as a ninja." The small frown was still on his face, and he noticed that Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura were all staring at him.

'_So Naruto dislikes the village that much, well… it should be expected.' _Kakashi recalled all the times he and other ANBU had to watch Naruto, just so he could cross the street without being killed by the villager's misplaced anger.

After a few moments of tense, awkward silence, Kakashi figured that he should wrap things up, and then talk to Naruto. He suddenly clapped his hands together.

"Okay…you three; we start our ninja duties tomorrow."

At this Sasuke perked his head, up until now being a genin had been boring but now they were going to start some actual training. Naruto also perked his head up.

"Duties? What kind?" Kakashi just tilted his head skyward.

"We're going to be doing some survival training tomorrow at Training Field Seven." Kakashi started chuckling. Sakura stared at Kakashi, confused at his laughter, survival testing was serious stuff.

"What's so funny sensei?"

You may not have known this, but the true Genin exam lies with the jonin-sensei, not with the academy. This exam has a failure rate of 66.6 percent, of the twenty-seven graduates, only nine will pass to go on being a genin, the rest will be sent back. I will choose, tomorrow, whether you three pass or fail." All three of the genin gave Kakashi their own version of a startled but angry glare.

"Maa, don't look at me like that, this is what you signed up for. There is a large failure rate in this test, so there is a good chance that one, two, or even all three of you will be sent back to the academy. Oh, and don't eat breakfast…you'll just throw up." Kakashi gave an amused grin to the now stunned three, before motioning for team seven to leave. They filed out, Sasuke leading with Sakura trailing and Naruto at the end.

"Naruto wait, I want to speak to you."

Naruto turned his head back at Kakashi, the eyebrow facing him raised in a questioning glance.

"Just get over here, ne?"

Naruto broke himself off from the group and walked back to Kakashi.

"What?" He questioned.

Kakashi just stared at Naruto for a moment. How was he going talk with Naruto? He was an S-ranked ninja, not a counselor. But he needed to know Naruto's feelings about being a ninja. He started off with a simple question.

"Are you okay Naruto?"

Naruto stared back at Kakashi, suspicious of what the jonin had to say. "Yeah… why wouldn't I be?" Kakashi shrugged sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well… earlier you said you disliked the village, and I wanted to make sure you were alright."

Naruto's eye's narrowed, "I don't know, am I?" Kakashi tilted his head, but before he could reply Naruto was gone in a whoosh of leaves. Kakashi just shook his head as if tired.

'_I have a fan girl, an avenger and a potential missing-nin for a genin team… This team will need a miracle to pass my exam._

Once again he tipped his head towards the clouds and sighed.

'_How…troublesome…'_

* * *

The next morning, Naruto decided that Kakashi's instructions not to eat could go to hell. After he cleaned himself up and put on boxers, he took out a cup of his favorite instant ramen. To Naruto the three minute wait for the noodles to cook seemed more like an agonizing hour. When he finished with what he considered Kami's gift to mankind, he proceeded to get dressed. Opening his spacious bedroom closet he peered inside at his selection. He decided that he would wear a light blue shirt with dark blue loose fitting pants. He than equipped himself with twenty-five kunai and the same number of shuriken. When he reached for his light blue goggles, he paused… 

The goggles were now scratched and well worn from four years of constant use. It still had sentimental value, not to mention years of good memories, but if he used it any farther it would fall apart. Reluctantly, he placed it next to a picture of him and Iruka sensei at Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto snapped his hitai-ate from his gravity belt and searched for its original cloth sheath. He found the cloth band in one of his drawers and slid the metal in the cloth slip. The blond stared at the mirror as he tied the band to his face… not bad in his opinion. Turning away from the mirror he slipped on his ninja sandals and stepped out his apartment door.

Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto met at the training field at the same time. There was an awkward silence when the teammates stared at each other; they had only been on a first name basis with each other at the academy, and now they had been thrust together to become a team. To get away from the uncomfortable silence, Naruto walked to near by tree and sat down. Sasuke and Sakura seemed to like Naruto's train of thought because they went to their own tree and lay down, eyes closed.

Team Seven remained like that for two hours before a poof sounded in front of them, and their seemingly continually late sensei appeared from under a veil of smoke.

"Yo!"

"**YOU'RE LATE!"**

Sasuke and Naruto both were clapping their ears shut at the outburst from the pink haired banshee in front of them. Naruto winced in pain, it felt like someone had taken a power drill to his ear drums. Only Kakashi seemed to be amused by Sakura.

"Sorry I'm late, but an elderly lady needed help crossing the street and…" His explanation continued but Naruto tuned it out. Whatever it was, it was obviously a lie, I mean come on! He'd never helped an old lady (for fear of being yelled at by the villagers) but he knew it couldn't take ten minutes, let alone two hours! He would have to find out exactly what caused his sensei to be late every day.

He was broken from his musings on Kakashi's tardiness, when he heard Sakura give another outburst of **"LIAR!"** He had to rub his ears once again from the pain.

Before Naruto could tell Sakura to shut the hell up, Kakashi cleared his throat and pulled out an alarm clock from his backpack. He set the clock down on a tree stump in front of him and produced two bells from his shuriken pouch. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura stared at their sensei, full of confusion.

"Here are two bells. Your task is pretty simple. You three are to come at me and try to get these bells from me before noon. Those who cannot get a bell by noon…get no lunch. Whichever of you don't, will not only have the punishment of being tied to one of the stumps behind you, but you also get to watch the other's eating." Sakura and Sasuke's stomach's grumbled, while Naruto's own was completely silent. At that very moment, he was glad he had listened to his gut instinct instead of Kakashi; he would need all the energy he could get.

"There are only two who will succeed so one of you will definitely be sent back to the academy. You can even use your weapons: shuriken, kunai…whatever you feel is necessary; you will fail if you don't attack me with the intention to kill."

Sakura was the one to break team seven's silence. "But, you'll be in danger and there are only two bells!" She was basically whining by now.

Kakashi simply shrugged and clipped the bells to his waist. "That's your problem, and besides… I don't think I need to worry about danger from mere genin. Naruto and Sasuke's eyes narrowed from Kakashi's barb. They set themselves to a determined demeanor. Even Sakura seemed to be determined to pass…even though it was probably more to do with Sasuke than it was with her.

Kakashi put his palm on the alarm clock and pushed the large button on top of it for the start of the exam.

"OK, let's get going; ready… START!!"

* * *

As soon as Kakashi had signaled the start of the test, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura had all hidden themselves. They lay spread out over training field seven staring at their sensei in each of their hiding spots. 

Kakashi stared around him and nodded in approval. "Good they have all hidden themselves well. The basics of a good shinobi are stealth and concealment."

Naruto crouched low in his hiding place in the swaying tree branches, making sure he wasn't visible to Kakashi. While he was hidden Naruto thought long and hard about the bell test. Something didn't add up. What was the point of putting people into three person teams, if individual skill determined whether you would be sent back to the academy? Did Kakashi really expect a genin to be able to beat a jonin? Conceivably he would be holding back…or maybe…

There was something else going on here. There was something he wasn't thinking of…too much of this didn't make sense. Naruto put his brain to work on figuring out just what exactly was going on. And then it came to him. While he had kept thinking about the fact that they were teams, the idea had slipped into his mind. A victorious smirk slowly made its way on his lips. Naruto knew for sure what the whole point of the bell test was He was gone in a whoosh of leaves.

* * *

Obviously something wasn't right. 

Sasuke was currently sitting in a tree, suppressing his chakra signature as much as he could. Not that it mattered…his opponent was a jonin. If he wanted to find him, he doubted that there was anything he could do about it.

They were being expected to beat _Sharingan Kakashi_, not only was he a jonin he was one feared in all of the elementals…. They were genin. Sasuke knew for a fact that his skills were top notch…he hadn't been named rookie of the year for nothing…but that didn't mean he was powerful enough to take on Kakashi.

His thoughts were interrupted by a slight whooshing sound below him, and without thought, Sasuke swiftly leapt down from his leafy perch to attack whoever was behind him.

With wide eyes, Naruto dodged Sasuke's speeding kunai. Naruto righted himself and glared at the kunai that had landed with a thud in the tree behind him.

"I'll pretend that didn't happen." He muttered.

"Sasuke just tilted his had in his annoyingly superior fashion. "What do you want, dobe?" Sasuke made sure to add that last part. Even though Naruto had beaten the shit out of him countless times, he did it anyway.

Naruto's eyes narrowed viciously with Sasuke's taunt and unconsciously a little bit of his killing intent began to leaked out. Ever since his deal with Kyubi, his chakra had become fiercely more aggressive; not to himself, but to whomever he directed it. And right now it was directed at Sasuke. But Naruto decided to calm down and ignore Sasuke's insult. He would add Sasuke to the list of people to prank later on.

"Look, this whole shitty survival test is all about teamwork."

Sasuke furrowed his eyes in thought and motioned for Naruto to go on.

"There is no way any of us could take out Kakashi alone, even me."

Sasuke sneered to himself, even though he knew Naruto was an exceptional taijutsu user, a twinge of jealousy and irritation came forth.

"I propose we work together with Sakura to nab the bells."

Sasuke was at an impasse. His pride as an Uchiha demanded he work alone and claim all the glory, but his common sense told him to agree and work together with his teammate.

"If I get one of the bells, than I will help you." Naruto just rolled his eyes at Sasuke's selfishness and simply gestured Sasuke to follow him.

"Come on, I have a plan and we need to find Sakura and clue her in."

* * *

Naruto leapt through the tree tops trailing Sakura's scent with Sasuke close behind. He had a plan that would he knew would get the whole team to pass, but before that could happen, he needed a third person, he needed Sakura. 

Naruto's musings were abruptly interrupted by a scream from Sakura somewhere deeper in the forest. He stopped and stared back at Sasuke; they both nodded to each other and put an extra burst of speed in the direction they had heard Sakura scream. He sighed in exasperation, his plan had included Sakura being conscious, but from the sound of it he would need to think up a knew one.

Kakashi shook his head in disappointment. He had found Sakura first in his search for team seven. While hidden from the pink haired genin's view, he had decided he would test the girl in genjutsu. Let's just say her performance had been… less than satisfactory. With a simple academy level illusion, Kakashi had knocked the girl unconscious, it was pathetic, really. Kakashi shook his head again at Sakura's defeat, and waited for Naruto and Sasuke to arrive, as he knew they would.

When Naruto arrived at Sakura's location, he twitched his nose in confusion. Even though Kakashi's scent was close to Sakura, it was no where near enough to knock her out into sub consciousness.

"He must have done a genjutsu and she fell for it." He said back to Sasuke.

"What do you think he got her with?" Sasuke questioned.

Naruto sniggered, "probably a genjutsu of your death."

Sasuke wasn't laughing.

Kakashi gazed intently at the two boys from his hiding spot behind the tree trunk. He covered his illusion with an elaborate illusion, one that no genin would be able to break. It blocked sight and sound, but unfortunately not smell. But he wasn't worried, as far as he knew the only genin that could smell that well was Kiba. A moment later, just like he had predicted, the boys had rushed over to help Sakura, but in their haste, they didn't realize that they had waltzed right into a trap. He smirked as he thought how green horned new genin were, it was laughable.

Naruto turned away from Sakura and twitched his nose at the air. Although Kakashi-sensei didn't know it, Naruto knew exactly where the jonin was, thanks to his freakish sense of smell. Naruto racked his brain, searching his mind for a way to fill in Sasuke about the trap, but nothing practical came. Kakashi had the Sharingan, and if Naruto so much twitched towards his teammate the jonin would know. He decided he would just plain out tell Sasuke.

"Sasuke, Kakashi is hidden in the bush at 5 o'clock. Split up, then he won't be able to take us out at the same time. Resort to Plan B." At first, the Uchiha had stared gazed back at him, the "how-would-you-know" look on his face, but after he heard the rest of what Naruto said, a look of understanding appeared in his eyes, immediately he leapt towards the foliage, away from Kakashi and Naruto. While he and Naruto had been headed towards they had though up a quick Plan B. Plan A had gone down in ruins with Sakura's demise.

Kakashi's eyes widened in consternation, he jumped out from his hiding place, a look of indignant annoyance on his face. His trap had gone to ruins before it even started!

"How did you know I was hidden in a genjutsu?" There's no way a genin could break that illusion.

Naruto grinned cheekily at the frustrated jonin, his face mocked Kakashi's confusion.

"That's for me to know and you to spend years finding out!" With the mocking smile still on his face Naruto took of his gravity belt, and with a soft thwip it landed on the forest floor. Kakashi raised his left eyebrow in confusion, usually when some one took off a weighted piece of clothing in a battle it landed with a heavy thud. But Naruto's blue cloth belt had just landed softly. Kakashi had to break this line of thought, because in his peripheral vision he saw Naruto put his fingers together in a cross sign. The blond molded some chakra but some of it still escaped his grasp, and despite his improved chakra control, it wisped around his body in a soft but fiery inferno.

Kakashi's already raised eyebrow rose higher. As far as he knew a human's chakra was supposed to be a soft sky blue, not the malevolent fiery purple of Naruto's. And the amount of chakra Naruto was emitting was more than most genin. Who, no…What the hell was Naruto to use this much chakra?

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" **

Naruto's already broad teasing grin became wider as he stared at Kakashi's confusion. With a noisy bang, a huge burst of light grey smoke surrounded the small clearing. What Kakashi saw appear from the haze made even his Sharingan tremble. As a breeze blew the smoke back, one hundred shadow clones surrounded Kakashi and Naruto. They filled the small clearing. It was a tight fit and about half of them were in the trees. Kakashi slowly gazed around him as one hundred Naruto's started bad mouthing him. Jeers and insults like: "Up yours, sensei!" And "We're gonna shit on you sensei!" They were lame, but when you had one hundred of them surrounding you and flipping you the bird, well…it got pretty annoying.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei, I have a technique for your Sharingan to copy and store in your memories forever! The clone that said this was on a tree limb. Pants down, his rear end faced Kakashi. The damn clone was mooning him! Kakashi's eyes twitched in anger. The Naruto clone laughed as he slapped his naked ass at the jonin, he bobbed it up and down at the jonin. Kakashi swiftly quieted the laughing clone with a flick of his wrist. The kunai landed in the clone's ass crack and with an: "Urk!" The clone disappeared in a burst of smoke,

The silver haired jonin shook his head and once again stared around him, taking stock of the situation.

'_One –hundred shadow clones? Even I can only do fifty at full power. The amount of chakra Naruto has… it is frightening. This calls for my Sharingan, I won't be able to keep up without it…stupid Gai for mentoring Naruto…'_

Kakashi stared at his student.

"One hundred shadow clones, impressive." The jonin cracked his neck loose, "alright let's go Naruto." He said this cockily, he gestured with his fingers for Naruto to bring it on.

Naruto was feeling euphoric. His gravity belt was on the ground and he felt as light as a feather. His muscles felt as if they could propel him without the slightest effort. Even after one hundred clones, he knew he could make thousands more. Naruto's broad teasing grin morphed into a devilish and triumphant smirk…he was gonna relish watching his clones beating the crap out of Kakashi. His smirk didn't falter an inch, when he saw Kakashi raise his hitai-ate revealing his Sharingan Eye. _'He'll need it…' _He thought, and his smirk became even more gloating.

A gentle draft of air blew lazily around the combatants. Naruto and 99 shadow clones stared at the jonin in their mist. One by one they grinned sadistically. Kakashi shivered as he gazed back at the wide eyes of the clones, they almost looked hungry for his blood. He saw all of the Naruto clones raise their kunai in anticipation. Kakashi spread his leg out farther, the dirt crunching as he widened his stance.

* * *

You know how the saying: "the shot heard around the world? The free for all between the clones and Kakashi was started with the shout heard around the world. 

"**KAMIKAZE!"**

As soon as Kakashi saw the clone in front of him coming for him he disappeared with a whoosh of leave. A split second later he reappeared behind said clone his fist buried in the clones yellow mopped head. It disappeared in a burst of smoke. Kakashi hadn't noticed, he had already moved on to the next clone. But the clones seemed to be as smart as the original because they weren't caught unawares the second time around. It would take two or three fast attacks to take out a clone, and it was hard to pull that off because while he was dealing with one clone another four would launch themselves at him, they were like the kamikaze, suicide soldiers. He had to be constantly on the move… dodge a jump kick…sidestep a strike at his neck…shunshin ten yards away… it was tiring to say the least.

Ten Clones surrounded Kakashi as he paused for a breath; but his breather was cut short. In what seemed like slow motion Kakashi saw ten fire balls barreling towards him! The temperature around him sky-rocketed and Kakashi felt his hair start to sizzle as the inferno drew closer. Kakashi widened his sharingan and frantically pulled off a Kawarimi just in time. But the clone had anticipated that. Just as Kakashi reappeared ten yards away, a clone shunshined right in front of him and tried to uppercut him. Jarring pain shot up Kakashi's jaw. Not getting any time to rest Kakashi desperately blocked and dodged the clones surrounding him once again.

The clones were now haphazardly dog piling him and Kakashi had to pull acrobatic spin kicks in the air to keep the Narutos off him. They would go flying from his counterattacks, bursting into puffs of smoke all around him. In fact it was getting hard to see… The wind must have decided to calm down because there was a grey fog all around him. He would stand trying to see with his Sharingan, and see a clone dive at him from the blinding murk. His Sharingan was almost useless because of the type of smoke he was handicapped with. The smoke from the defeated clones was actually the dissipating chakra holding the clone together. So even though he could see the chakra signatures of the clones, the chakra smoke mixed with the clones, resulting in a blurry image, like the inside of a swirly saloon. Kakashi had to deal with all this and make sure the two bells on his person hadn't been nabbed by the clone army. But he was Hatake Kakashi, once an ANBU Captain… it was doable

* * *

. 

Naruto nodded in approval at the all out brawl in front of him. His clones were being beaten one by one yes, but it was happening slowly and Kakashi had his share of bruises and scrapes on his body. Naruto nodded once again and jumped in to the foliage in Sasuke's direction. If their plan succeeded than this survival exam was in the bag.

Kakashi leapt all over the clearing, kicking and punching clones jumping after him at all sides. Just as he was about to leap off a branch a clone appeared behind him, he immediately dispelled it, but that had been a decoy, because another one drop kicked him from above. Normally Kakashi would have dodged the heel that was currently buried in his temple, but after 77 clones he was tired. With a bone crunching thud Kakashi found his face painfully buried in the dirt.

As the clone stopped to laugh at his plight, anger flooded Kakashi's brain, this was enough!" With an enraged grunt he spun through a sequence of hand seals and a yelled out, "Futon: Senpuu Katana no Jutsu!" Large chakra filled wind blades spun in a deadly vortex around the angered jonin. The clones close to him were dispelled quickly while the wind decimated the furthest of the clones with an extra burst of energy. In a span of ten seconds, the remaining 23 clones were dispelled.

Kakashi stood hunched over in the middle of the clearing. He panted, his lungs screaming for more air. Even though he wasn't dead tired, his muscles ached with exertion. The jonin clenched his hands into a fist and smirked.

'_Sheesh, I'm out of practice.'_

Kakashi took a deep breath…then let it out. With a whoosh of leaves he disappeared, he was going to beat the crap out of Naruto when he found him. There was hell to pay.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke lay on a tree trunk, triumphant smiles on their face. Sakura lay next to them, embarrassed out of her mind. She was, at the moment, cursing the fact that she hadn't taken the practical aspects of a ninja seriously. Because of that she had no chance. While her brains and test scores were top of their class, her taijutsu and ninjutsu was…lacking, to put it nicely. She knew the three academy jutsu…and that was it. Sasuke's taijutsu and other skills, on the other hand, were incredible. If anyone stood even a small chance against Kakashi-sensei, it was him. 

And Naruto… she had assumed that Naruto was one of the worst ninja she had ever met. Sure he had phenomenal taijutsu, but that had been it, his chakra control sucked. But when she recalled how she had been taken down by Kakashi, she burned with shame. It had been just a simple academy level genjutsu! And she had fallen for it! When she had seen a bloody Sasuke limping towards her kunai and shuriken sticking out of him like a porcupine, all she could do was faint. She hadn't even realized that as their jonin-sensei Kakashi wouldn't bloody his students over a simple bell test.

Sakura had later woken up to Naruto and Sasuke, both of them looking down at her. They had asked her the routine question: "Are you okay?" When she had answered yes, they had simply left her and sat down and talked to themselves. Sakura sat down and listened in to their mutterings. Her shame multiplied two fold when she heard of their plan to get the two bells. Their plan had worked out beautifully; it was perfect, foolproof in her opinion.

They both tensed in anticipation as they heard Kakashi approach. In Sasuke's hand was a bright orange book. With a soft thud Kakashi landed deftly in front of the mischievous genin. Kakashi stared at them in confusion. What were they so happy about? The exam was almost over, in five minutes two hours will have passed; and they still hadn't managed to steal the bells from him.

"What's so funny?" Kakashi asked warily.

"This is," And with a dramatic flourish Sasuke presented the orange book at Kakashi.

The silver-haired jonin bugged out.

'_The stupid brats have my Come, Come Paradise Volume 30: Jiraya's Pick Edition! Ho…How!!'_

Kakashi frantically searched his backpack, desperately hoping that what was in Sasuke's right hand was a fake. To his despair, Sasuke held the real deal. Kakashi stared intently at the perverted book, as if it was a baby kidnapped from him. Naruto spoke up and broke the tense silence.

"Oi, Kakashi-sensei, we'll trade the book for the two bells. How does that sound?"

"I want to know how you got the book first." Kakashi answered

"It was easy, really. I was the distraction while Sasuke was henged as one of the clones. Before you fought, you set your backpack down. Sasuke just crept over to the pack and stole the book while you were getting your ass whooped! At this Naruto started laughing, he had seen the time when one of his clones had drop kicked his sensei. Kakashi switched his gaze from the two boys to Sakura.

"What about her?" he asked.

"She was knocked out at the time, so we couldn't use her."

Kakashi nodded his head in acceptance. "I see… good job, really."

Naruto squinted his eyes suspiciously at the jonin. Usually when he pulled a prank on someone they didn't congratulate him. What was Kakashi up too? With wide eyes it came to him, he whirled around to try and warn Sasuke, "Sasuke! Give me the book!" But it was too late. In a flash Kakashi had used the Kawarimi to replace himself with his precious book. With an "Ooof!" Kakashi landed gracelessly on top of Sasuke and the book reappeared yards away from them. Before Naruto could dash for their hostage, a clone of Kakashi jumped out of the bush, grabbed the book and leapt away. The real Kakashi immediately leapt after it. And with that, Naruto and Sasuke's foolproof plan had been ruined.

A loud ding from the alarm clock far off in the woods alerted team seven the end of the survival exam… and maybe the end of their short careers as shinobi.

* * *

_**Terms & Jutsu:**_

_Tokubetsu Jonin__These are ninja who, rather than all-around Jonin training, have Jonin-level ability in a single area or skill, much like warrant officers of real-world militaries. They are elite specialists in their areas and are often assigned as subordinates to regular Jonin when their services are needed_.

_**Futon: Senpuu Katana no Jutsu**_

_Name: Whirlwind Blades_

_Type: B-rank, Offensive, Mid to Longe Range (5 to 15m)_

_This jutsu is a very useful long range offensive waeapon. Especially when surrounded at all sides by the enemy. By manipulating the air around themselves the user can generate an intense vortex that can slice through muscle and if mastered, dense bone. The "windblades" contained in the vortex are a result of concentrated chakra moving __rapidly through __the air. It is the offensive equivilent to the Kaiten._

* * *

_**AN: PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**  
_


	15. Survival Exam Results

**_Author's Note:__ I'm sorry for the delay, but you should expect it until next summer. I got too much stuff to do, between AP classes and varsity soccer practice, you people will just have to be patient._**

* * *

** Chapter 14: Survival Test Results  
**

**Last Chapter:**

_What was Kakashi up too? With wide eyes it came to him, he whirled around to try and warn Sasuke, "Sasuke! Give me the book!" But it was too late. In a flash Kakashi had used the Kawarimi to replace himself with his precious book. With an "Ooof!" Kakashi landed gracelessly on top of Sasuke and the book reappeared yards away from them. Before Naruto could dash for their hostage, a clone of Kakashi jumped out of the bush, grabbed the book and leapt away. The real Kakashi immediately leapt after it. And with that, Naruto and Sasuke's foolproof plan had been ruined. _

_A loud ding from the alarm clock far off in the woods alerted team seven the end of the survival exam… and maybe the end of their short careers as shinobi._

* * *

As the dreaded alarm rang throughout the trees, Naruto decided he didn't care that the test was over. Screw the damn bell test, Kakashi needed feel some pain! In one bound, he crossed the distance between him and Kakashi, his fist aimed at Kakashi's temple. The jonin eyes widened in surprise, none of the genin in the past had dared to attack him after the test. It was unprecedented. 

Kakashi's surprise left him wide open for a fierce right hook, he reeled back from its viciousness; Naruto had put all his power into the punch. The jonin staggered back, more in surprise than pain. But he was more than ready when Naruto tried to follow through. As the blond twisted his torso for a spin kick, Kakashi expertly ducked under the foot. As it flew by him, the jonin grabbed the foot and spinning around he launched Naruto into a tree. He then shunshined back and started a sequence of hand seals.

"Doton: Shinjū Zans –

Sasuke stared at Kakashi and. The blond was dazed from Kakashi's disappearing act –wide open for the jutsu Kakashi had on his lips. Sasuke contemplated the merits of covering Naruto's back. What would it get for him? Nothing, that's what, at best the blond would say thank you. Sasuke decided he would stay put and see what happens.

Sakura stared at Kakashi's unprotected back, and then her blond team mate. Without warning the blond had attacked Kakashi in a fit of rage. At first Naruto had claimed the upper hand. But now Kakashi had turned the tables. Although the exam was over, and although she didn't like Naruto, he was a teammate, as such she was _supposed_ to help him.

'_But he's so annoying!' _Sakura thought. But remembering her Kaa-san's advice about helping your teammates flashed through her brain.

* * *

_Flashback:_

"_Remember Sakura," the pink haired and middle aged mother said sagely, "always look out for your teammates, even when you dislike them… You may one day find yourself in their gratitude."_

"_Yeah, Yeah," Sakura said hurriedly as she raced out the door, "I'm gonna be late for the survival test mom! Bye!" Haruno Sukari chuckled and shook her head as her daughter ran out the door._

* * *

'_Argh, stupid moral values!' _Sakura clenched her fist in determination, and dashed forward. 

Kakashi stopped in mid sentence. Soft pattering like the taping of a foot came closer and closer, quickly approaching behind him. Curious, he looked back over his shoulder. He saw a pink blur running at him.

Sakura was attacking him too? What was with these genin?

The female genin attempted a swipe at Kakashi with her leg. But calmly, he jumped over the appendage. Although she had the advantage of surprise, Sakura was no where as fast as Naruto. But her attack had served its purpose. Naruto had reoriented himself and was already in Kakashi's face. With an uplifting battle cry the blond took his chance and let loose a barrage of fists and kicks. With each exchange with his opposition, the thrill of battle started to envelope Naruto, he felt an exhilarating rush as he dodged or blocked Kakashi's counter. He hadn't had a good taijutsu spar in a while.

Kakashi decided he'd had enough with Naruto's temper. It wouldn't do to have the blond always going against him, especially in a _real_ shinobi battle –it could get either him or his team killed. With a burst of speed he rarely used, Kakashi quickly broke past Naruto's guard. Carefully using a minute amount of chakra he sent a small bolt of debilitating electricity through the vulnerable nerves of the blonde's body. The blonde froze with shock, literally and figuratively. Before Naruto knew it, he was paralyzed from the neck down. He slumped down limply; his body lay sprawled, an unsupported mass of jelly. Kakashi grinned cheekily at Naruto's wrathful visage.

Just to make sure there would be no more surprises from team seven, Kakashi ran through a sequence of seals. In a couple of seconds Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura found them selves buried up to their throats in the ground. They were lined up next to each other facing Kakashi. Sasuke and Sakura stared at the ground inches away their nose and then back up at Kakashi. They had look of total astonishment on their faces, they hadn't seen this coming. The jonin eyes were closed in mirth; he obviously found their reactions very funny.

"My, my, my… you three are, shall we say… interesting? You know, you're the first team that's ever attacked me after the exam. Tut, tut, shame on you, I think you guys need some anger management sessions with Ibiki." Naruto ignored Kakashi's lecture. The jonin was clearly messing with them, and any ways he had to recover from the paralysis and somehow get out of his earthly tomb. There was still some hell to pay. Naruto tried to access his energetic chakra, but drew blank. It was as if he had no control over his chakra coils!

Kakashi stopped talking and moved his eyes over to Naruto. The genin was trembling with the effort of breaking through his paralysis –but he was fighting a lost battle. The technique he'd used to cripple Naruto was effective and only the user could dispel it, the downside was that it was temporary, and if you knew how it was very easy to block. But Naruto didn't need to know that. Kakashi shook his head in amusement, _'some people just don't learn to quit.'_ He would have to teach Naruto when to consolidate his losses, and retreat. It was a lesson he'd learned the hard way. Kakashi stared at the clouds in nostalgia. Then he looked back down at team seven.

He decided that team seven had passed. They had shown a satisfactory amount of teamwork, and even though they hadn't stolen the bells, Naruto and Sasuke had shown a good amount of resourceful thinking. He had to admit, holding his Come, Come Paradise hostage had been genius.

He stared over at Sakura and decided that she would pass as well. Initially she had performed dismally, but when push came to shove, she had covered Naruto's back. She had shown an unusual care for her teammate, especially one she disliked.

But before he gave them the good news, he decided that he would give them another test. There was one more thing he wanted to see from team seven.

"Alright you three, I've come to a conclusion. You three show good teamwork yes, but as my students you need to show me more. So I've decided I'm going to let you guys free, but Naruto will still be tied to the tree stump."

"WHAT? WHY?"

Naruto was filled with outrage. He had performed way better than the emo or Sakura, especially Sakura! If anyone deserved to be tied up, it was her!

Kakashi just stared at him calmly, still filled with amusement.

"Because, you annoy me… Isn't it obvious?"

In retort, Naruto loudly coughed up the largest lugi he could and spit it at Kakashi's feet. The jonin raised his eyebrow at the disgusting discharge at his feet and shook his pointer finger at the insubordinate genin.

"Tsk, tsk, such attitude –it is unbecoming of you Naruto.

"Up yours." Naruto muttered. Kakashi chuckled in amusement. Although Naruto didn't know it, Kakashi found Naruto's personality refreshing. It was a contradicting mix of mock anger and mischievousness, brazen cockiness and conviction. Kakashi chuckled again.

'_Ah, the arrogance of youth…'_

Sasuke and Sakura sat on either side of Naruto. He was tied firmly to the tree trunk, a look of pure loathing directed at Kakashi. Sure, before today he and Kakashi had been on good terms, and even now the blond really didn't _hate_ the jonin, per say. But Naruto was _immensely_ annoyed.

"You guys… I'll give you a second chance. But after lunch, I won't hold anything back."

Sakura gulped in fear.

"Those of you who still want to be on my team can eat lunch, but don't give any to Naruto… I think I'm still annoyed with him… yes that's right I'm still annoyed." Kakashi gave a playful, teasing glance over to Naruto.

"Think of it as punishment for your … insubordination. Anyone who gives him food will fail immediately."

With that somber note, Kakashi disappeared.

Naruto glared ahead, ignoring Sasuke and Sakura. He stared at nothing in particular. Hunger wasn't on his mind anyways… no, revenge was. When this exam was over Kakashi was going to pay.

Sasuke glanced over at his blond haired teammate. At first he'd wanted to do the survival test on his own, but when Naruto had convinced him of the point of the test and thought up a decent plan, well his view of Naruto had raised up a notch- a little insignificant notch in the grand scheme of things, but a notch nevertheless. He knew he'd do well to have Naruto on his side at full power. Without a word, he coolly proffered his bento box to the blond.

Sakura spoke up. "Sasuke-kun! Sensei said we shouldn't give him any food! You'll fail!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Sakura's obedience. "Don't worry; I can't sense him anywhere near here. And anyways, without food he'll be in the way –even more of a dobe." Naruto shook his head at Sasuke. Even when the emo tries to do something nice, he's still cold.

Sakura thought about what Sasuke said, and after a moment decided to offer her own food too.

Naruto smiled in appreciation and maybe a sliver of gratitude. Even though he really wasn't hungry, it was the thought that counted. His opinion of Sasuke and Sakura rose up a little… just a little.

Just as Naruto was about to refuse the bento box being offered to him, smoke blew up around them! Kakashi's form approached angrily from the burst. He looked pissed as hell. Instead of his usual black pupils, his eyes had flickering flames burning inside them. He bent towards them…

"YOU GUYS…!

Sakura stared at Kakashi with wide, frightened eyes. Sasuke got up in a fighting stance.

…Pass…" He said this softly, as if his voice hadn't been loud enough to wake the dead just a second before.

Sasuke and Sakura face faulted while Naruto just scoffed. As a prankster he was used to dramatics. Other thoughts were in his mind… revenge for instance.

Sakura looked speechless, she had expected failure, but instead they had passed? What the heck was going on here? Sakura spoke up in her bewilderment.

"Pass? But…But…How?" She stuttered.

Kakashi smiled under his mask. He thought of the numerous genin before this one that hadn't displayed the life lesson that team seven had.

"You are the first team to pass from my test. Instead of caring for their comrades, like you two did, they would just do what I said like robots."

"_**Those who break the rules and laws of the ninja are called trash, but those who abandon their comrades… they are worse than trash."**_

Naruto smiled in understanding, and then he laughed silently.

"Hmm, what's so funny Naruto?" The jonin's eyebrows wrinkled together in confusion. Kakashi thought what he said had been insightful, but then he saw Naruto laughing.

Naruto still had the smile on his face. "It's just that, who would think that such a goofy character like you… could think of something so thoughtful!"

Kakashi's sweat dropped, and he shook his head. Sakura and Sasuke smirked at Naruto's statement.

Kakashi abruptly straightened him self out, and cleared his throat.

"Seriously though, what I just said… I hope you three learn to live by it." Kakashi smacked his palms together loudly. Sakura started with a yelp. "OK, that's the end of it; tomorrow Team 7 begins its duties!"

Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke walked off towards Konoha, leaving Naruto still tied up to the stump. Naruto stared at his bonds, and then the departing ninja. He had a look of surprise on his face. They dared to leave him tied on the stump? A mischievous smirk graced his face. At first Kakashi had been on his hit list, but now it seemed Sasuke and Sakura would have to be added. He smiled ruefully and shook his head in pity, He almost felt sorry for his soon to be victims. What he had in store for them… well, let's just say it would be _memorable_.

With a satisfied nod, he made a shadow clone. He ordered it to free him and then disappeared in a whoosh of leaves.

* * *

Naruto walked down the bustling, merchant filled streets of Konoha. People of all types filled the intersecting roads and corners: merchants, ninja, the rich, the poor; just his luck that there was a no rooftop jumping zone in the area. '_Stupid laws…' _he thought. 

But what he was really thinking about was his team. Naruto had misgivings on how well they would perform. In fact he doubted Kakashi's faith in team seven altogether. Sure Sasuke had worked with him but that was because the stubborn Uchiha had no choice. It was either lose to Kakashi or partner with his teammates and at least get a sliver of a chance. If there had been another way to get a bell without his teammates, Sasuke would have immediately seized it. And Sakura, did Naruto even have to think hard about Sakura. The girl was a total dead weight. His dislike wasn't personal; he just didn't want the fan girl to get him killed from her incompetence. Sooner or later, the girl would have to drop her shallow personality and face the music or team seven was doomed. But he had to give credit where it was due. In his time of trouble she had come through for him. Unlike Sasuke, she had helped him willingly… well as willingly as Sakura could be to help Naruto, but anyways, Naruto had to give her an A for effort.

Naruto further contemplated team seven's dynamics as he turned the corner. But his thoughts were interrupted by a high pitched laugh. Naruto perked his head up from his thoughts. A kid was running towards him; a ninja two blocks away with a chair stuck to his rear and a bucket clanking on his feet was hobbling after the kid yelling:

"Konohamaru! Get back here!"

The youngster had his head turned over his back laughing at his comical looking chaser, he obviously wasn't watching where he was going because he kept on running towards Naruto. With a fiendish grin Naruto sidestepped the little kid and stuck his foot out. But just before the kid got to his protruding ankle He tripped on himself! The kid cut a comical figure as he frantically wind milled his arms trying to regain balance. With a startled shout his face pounded into the hard cement.

"ACK!"

Naruto laughed at the kid's face plant. '_What a klutz'!_ He was about to trip the kid and he'd done it for him! He looked down at the brat sprawled on the cement sidewalk. He wore a beige t-shirt with Konoha's leaf symbol on the front and green shorts. He also sported a large blue scarf worn like a cape and a grey helmet…thing. Naruto chuckled in amusement at the kid's choice of wear; it was strange to say the least.

The kid clutched his forehead as he groaned in pain. "Oww…"

Konohamaru stared up at Naruto, who was still laughing. He glared and quickly got up his face contorted in indignation. He sharply jabbed his pointer finger at Naruto.

"YOU!" His voice was shrill and whiny; his face was red from anger and embarrassment.

Naruto raised his eyebrow in amusement and gazed at the kid's finger. "Me?" He asked, pointing at himself. Naruto had a look of mock innocence on his face. He looked surprised that Konohamaru would accuse _him _of doing such a thing.

"Yeah you! You tripped me! If you don't say you're sorry! I'll… I'll" Konohamaru shouted. He wasn't going to fall for it, he used the innocent puppy dog face way to many times on the Sandaime, his Oji-san, to be fooled by Naruto's acting.

'_Me? Say I'm sorry? To a little brat no less?!' _Naruto's reply was blunt, he effortlessly picked the kid up by the scruff of his scarf and narrowed his eyes, "You'll do what, brat? Besides I didn't trip you. You fell over yourself you klutz!"

Konohamaru grit his teeth and rashly started to yell back at Naruto. Just as Konohamaru opened his mouth to reply, the ninja that had been chasing him arrived. He wore a blue loose fitting jump suit, circular sunglasses and a blue bandanna on his head. Konohamaru let out a breath in relief, saved by his annoying teacher, Ebisu!

Drop Konohamaru-sama this instant!"

Ebisu gasped in righteous indignation. That Konohamaru-sama should be manhandled in such a way, by the nine tailed punk no less! It was preposterous! He moved his gaze over to Konohamaru. "Are you all right?"

Naruto stared incredulously at the ninja. "Konohamaru-sama?" He chuckled in amusement, "Did you just call this scrawny gaki Konohamaru-_sama_?" Naruto looked at the brat in his clutches and then at the ninja. "Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"No! That's the Sandaime Hokage-sama's grandson! Your filthy hands aren't fit to touch him!"

'_My filthy hands aren't fit to what? Oh boy what a loser.' _Naruto shook his head and stared back at Konohamaru who was still in his clutches. '_So this is Oji-san's grandson… what a brat, he is nothing like his grandfather_.'

Konohamaru's teeth were clenched but Naruto could trace a leering smirk on his face. "Go ahead, punch me, I dare you!" '_Now that he knows who I am, he won't do jack! He's probably the same as every one else!' _

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the kid's face. Apparently Konohamaru thought he wasn't going to do anything. Naruto grinned; apparently Konohamaru didn't know that Naruto was no one's bitch, especially some spoiled brat! Before the Hokage's grandson knew it, his face met the hard pavement for the second time, courtesy of Naruto's fist.

"I don't care who you are!" Before Ebisu could react Naruto stalked off.

The blond genin walked down a different set of streets as he thought about Konohamaru. _He's just a spoiled brat with a stupid sense of fashion, what was that, a helmet?_ Naruto sniggered._ 'Probably needs to wear it in case he trips like last time.'_ But as Naruto walked down the street amid the villager's glare and cold eyes, he had to concede that to him, every little kid was spoiled. Compared to him, their lives were heaven. Ignoring the hatred surrounding him he walked towards his apartment. Just as he was about to jump to the rooftops, he detected some one following him in his peripheral vision. It was Konohamaru. He turned around his eyes twitching in agitation, "Why are you following me?!"

But he wasn't answered. Instead he saw Konohamaru hiding behind a blanket with a fence design. Konohamaru's attempt at camouflage was already bad enough, but it was made worse by the fact that the fence lines were horizontal and not vertical like a normal fence.

Naruto's eyes twitched not in agitation anymore, but in disbelief. His mouth was open in amazement at how horrible the camo was. Who was the kid trying to fool?

"What kind of camouflage is that?!"

Konohamaru smiled as he stepped out of his supposed disguise. "He-he, pretty clever, so what they say about you is true."_ 'What they say?' _Naruto was confused."Ha?" Konohamaru jabbed his finger pointedly at Naruto. "If I let you be my boss, then teach me how to beat my Oji-san so I can be Hokage!" Naruto gazed at the finger; he was starting to get annoyed of the kid's grubby finger in his face. Naruto calmly took Konohamaru's pointer finger and jabbed him in the face.

"Stop hitting yourself.

"Hey!"

"Naruto jabbed Konohamaru with his own finger again. "Stop hitting yourself."

"Would you-!"

He did it again. "Stop hitting yourself."

"Stop-!"

You really should stop hitting yourself."

"OW!" This time Naruto had forcefully shoved Konohamaru's finger up the kid's nostril. He worked the finger like you would a toilet plunger.

"Stop shoving your finger up your nose."

Konohamaru wrenched his hand free and stepped back from Naruto. He rubbed his bruised nose tenderly. He glared at Naruto. "You know, you're really mean." Naruto shrugged, "Just teaching you a lesson: it's rude to point. Besides, if I'm so mean, then stop following me, stupid gaki."

By now Konohamaru was desperate. He dropped to his knees, his hands clasped together. "PLEAASE! I'll do anything, anything!" A fiendish smile crossed Naruto's face. "Anything?" Konohamaru vigorously nodded his head. "Anything!" Naruto nodded in satisfaction. "Alright meet me tomorrow at Ichiraku ramen... nine o' clock should do it." Konohamaru jumped for joy. "Alright! I'll be there boss!" But Naruto was already walking away, his hands raised in a farewell. "Whatever brat, just be there." Konohamaru glared at Naruto's back from the insult. He retorted with a loud saliva filled strawberry. Naruto stopped. Konohamaru's eyes widened and he quickly scampered off in fear. Naruto chuckled to himself and resumed walking home.

"Stupid Brat."

* * *

The next day team seven went down to the Hokage Tower to receive their first mission as genin. Enthusiastically entering the doors, they had been excited, even Sasuke. Leaving, well…when Team Seven realized that most of their days as novices would be filled with D-rank missions, their steps were no longer buoyed with eagerness. 

Their mission today was the retrieval of a lost cat. A cat! Naruto's time was too precious to him to waste on a stupid, fur ball hacking feline. Before they went off to the forest to search for the pet of the Hidaimyo's wife, Naruto made a pit stop in a bathroom. Putting the pointer finger and middle finger together in each hand, he brought his left and right hands together in a cross sign.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

With a small burst of smoke an exact clone of Naruto, appeared before him. The original nodded at the clone.

"You know what to do."

The clone smiled and gave a thumbs up before he left the stall. Naruto's gaze followed the clone as it reassembled with the oblivious team seven. He waited till the team was far away before he left the bathroom. He clapped his hand together in anticipation; while team seven was off in a wild _cat_ chase, he would be making plans to sabotage their lives with Konohamaru.

Vengeance was at hand…

* * *

Kakashi tapped his earphone. "What's the distance to the target?" Sasuke answered with his earphone, "Five meters, I'm ready to go." 

"So am I," Sakura answered.

"Me too," said the Naruto clone.

"OK… GO!"

The Naruto clone, Sasuke and Sakura leapt from their hiding places around the unsuspecting cat. With a rush of movement the trio dog piled the feline. The Naruto clone held the cat at arms length as it tried to claw its way free.

"Are you sure it's the target?" Kakashi questioned.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, we're sure.

"Alright "Lost Pet Tora Mission"… Complete!"

Team Seven found themselves back at the Hokage Tower. They returned the irate cat to the plump Madam Shijimi. At the sight of her long lost pet, the fat but jolly woman immediately snuggled tightly with her cat. Emphasis on tightly, the cat was groaning in pain from the shrieking woman's embrace. It sounded like a old hag choking on a piece of food, struggling to swallow it, with a high pitch.

Sakura shuddered at the sound. "No wonder it ran away…"

"Alright Team Seven," the venerable Sandaime spoke up, "Your next mission is, hmm… babysitting a council member's grandson, digging up some of a farmers harvest and draining a clogged septic tank," Everyone's eyes widened, including Kakashi. "Wait, that's team ten's job, sorry. Your last job is doing some shopping. Team Seven sighed in relief.

Naruto, the real one (he had replaced himself with the clone once he was done with his pranking) listened to Oji-san. As soon as he understood what they were going to be doing for the rest of the day, he decided that D-rank missions could go to the several burning inferno's of hell.

"No." He said.

The Sandaime looked up from his notes. "What?"

"I said no, there is no way in hell I'm doing these missions, they're pathetic! Seriously, why isn't the municipality doing this, I thought we were trained to be ninja, not public servants?!"

Sasuke nodded in agreement. Even though he disliked the dobe, he knew Naruto was right. Why were ninja doing the jobs of the citizens?

Kakashi sighed. "I knew this would happen.

Iruka burst from his desk beside the Hokage. "Naruto! You're just a genin. Everyone begins with these simple tasks and works their way up – "That's enough Iruka." The Sandaime said softly. Iruka grudgingly sat down. The old Hokage turned his gaze over to Naruto. "It seems like I have to explain why you receive these menial tasks, even though you should know from your lessons from the academy.

Naruto blushed; he'd spent most of his time in the academy sleeping. The only thing he would stay awake for is when Iruka taught the class any techniques. Any time Iruka lectured on history or facts he'd promptly fall asleep.

"Every day, Konoha receives missions from either Fire Country, or other hidden villages. These missions range greatly, from D-ranked shopping, to S-ranked assassinations. The reason you get stuck with the shopping, Naruto, is because we divide the missions among our ninja by difficulty."

Naruto grumbled. "I know that."

The Sandaime chuckled. "Then you should know that the jonin get the A-ranked missions, the chunin get the B and C-ranked missions, and the genin get the D-ranked missions, but..." The Sandaime hesitated to get the last part out.

Naruto leaned towards the Hokage in anticipation. "Yes?"

The Sandaime sighed, "But sometimes they share some C-ranked missions with the chunins. Naruto grinned triumphantly. "If that's the case, then I request a C-ranked mission."

Kakashi bopped Naruto on the head. "Quiet you." Naruto glared up at his sensei.

Kakashi just gazed at the Hokage amid Naruto's glare. "I'm sorry Hokage-sama…"

The Sandaime just dismissed the jonin's apology with a wave. "It's quite alright, besides I actually have a C-ranked mission for you."

"Huh?"

Naruto looked at the Sandaime in surprise; they had actually got a C-ranked mission? All three genin twittered in surprise. "Ah, yes it's an escort mission," The Sandaime spoke up, "You can come in now."

The door opened slowly, an old man fumbled into the room, as if intoxicated. Naruto detected the scent of alcohol as the he stumbleded in.

"What's this? I gotta be protected by a buncha brat's just outta their diapers?"

The slight stench of alcohol grew stronger as he spoke. The old man had glasses perched precariously on his nose and he was wearing grubby clothing, his pants had patches and his large pack was haphazardly placed on his back. He leaned on the doorway, as if he couldn't support himself, a beer bottle grasped in his left hand.

Naruto's mouth was open and his eyebrows raised, this was their escort?

The man chuckled to himself, "Ha ha!! Who's the blond with the stupid look on his face?" He took a large swig of his drink.

Naruto's incredulous gaze immediately morphed into a cold calculating one, his eyes simmered in anger, his killing intent rising up a notch. It was as if he was debating the best way to kill the man. To the Guts? Or to the Jugular? There were so many choices. The old man shuddered, _'Kids aren't supposed look like that,' _He thought, _'It's unnatural.'_

Sarutobi raised his eyebrow at Naruto's reaction. He decided to speak up and avert the genin's deadly gaze at the old man. "Tazuna here is a bridge builder. He needs protection from bandits and the like until he gets to his country. Your task is to make sure he gets there safely."

Kakashi sighed in exasperation. He'd wanted keep to the usual D-ranked missions so he wouldn't have to do much. But now he would have to actually put some effort as a sensei. Call him lazy, but Kakashi didn't want to come back from a C-rank with one of his genin dead or injured. '_Oh well.'_ He thought, _'The only one I'll have to really watch is Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke can take care of themselves…I hope.'_

* * *

The next morning, Naruto arrived at the village gates first. As he drew closer to the thick wide, two story doors, he saw Iruka walking off. The chunin had a medium sized pack on his back. 

'_What's Iruka-sensei doing?' _ He thought. "Iruka-sensei! Where are you going?!" He yelled. Iruka turned around in confusion, but smiled when he saw Naruto. He walked back towards Naruto, eyes twinkling. Naruo looked up at his mentor. "So what's up?"

"Naruto, I've been promoted to ANBU status." Naruto;s eyes widened in surprise. 'That's awesome Iruka sensei, but how?" Iruka's eyes twitched in mock annoyance "What do you mean how? You think your old teacher doesn't have it in 'em to be a jonin?" Naruto chuckled at Iruka's antics. "You know what I mean."

"You see, I could have been a jonin a while ago. In fact three years ago I was offered the chance to become ANBU, a few months after Kakashi. Naruto raised one of his eyebrows, he was impressed; who knew sensei was so kickass?! "Why didn't you?" Naruto asked. If he was offered the chance to become an ANBU member he would have seized it immediately.

"I didn't take it because of you." Seeing Naruto's guilt laced and confused face, Iruka explained further, a nostalgic look on his face. "The year before I was offered the chance to become ANBU, I had gotten to know you pretty well Naruto." Iruka stared at the clouds. The nostalgic look on his face slipped away, it was replaced with a cold frown. "I had also gotten to know the villager's pretty well too. As I interacted with you, they started to scorn me too. My eyes were opened that year. The villager's were planning something. As ANBU, you travel almost all the time; I knew that if I left you, there would be no one to protect you from their plans. I chose to stay and make sure you didn't get hurt.

Naruto stared at the ground, his eyes narrowed in dismay. Iruka-sensei had done a lot for him over the last four years. But he hadn't realized the man had done so much. He stared back at Iruka, eyes filled with emotion. "You shouldn't have done that. I don't want to be the reason that you couldn't be promoted. I had Oji-san to protect me. Naruto's voice rose with each word. "I don't want to be a burden like that!"

Iruka smiled at Naruto. "The Sandaime can barely handle his tasks as Hokage; I'm amazed that he kept an eye on you as well as he did. I could do a better chance of watching over you than he could. That's why I chose to stay; you're like a little brother to me. Besides you would have done the same, right? Naruto looked away, his eyes narrowed…"that's beside the point." He muttered. Iruka chuckled.

"Anyway I'm a jonin now because of Mizuki." Naruto was confused. "Uh?" Iruka nodded. "Yep, my fight with Mizuki… well… I enjoyed it. Naruto laughed "Ha! Iruka-sensei hit with battle-lust!" Iruka shrugged. "Laugh all you want but, it's true, I've been hit with battle-lust. Since that fight, every time I sat down to teach, I would remember the exhilarating thrill of being in battle and matching wits with an opponent. The school desk started to feel like prison. Besides, you're old enough and skilled enough to take care of the villagers by yourself. So I decided to reapply for the job as ANBU."

Naruto spoke up. "But I though the job was on an offer to - basis?" Iruka nodded, "You're right but there is an exception. Any one who has been offered, can decline and come back later, as long as they are still as strong as they were when they were offered. I reapplied and took a test to gauge my skills." Iruka shivered. Naruto tilted his head, "What's wrong?" Iruka recovered and smiled. "Imagine fighting seven ANBU consecutively, including the captain." Naruto winced in sympathy. Iruka nodded ruefully. "Yeah, not exactly a quiet stroll in the park."

Naruto nodded his head in agreement. "So, how long will you be gone?" Iruka frowned, "It's an A-ranked mission so I don't know, and no, I can't tell you what the mission is." Naruto closed his mouth. But don't worry, the Hokage said it wouldn't be for more than a month."

"A month!" Naruto yelled. "What could you possibly be doing that would take a month?" Iruka smirked. "That's for me to know and you to never find out. I'll see you later Naruto." With that, Iruka shunshined away with a whoosh of leaves.

Naruto stood there pondering the situation. Iruka was part of the ANBU, as such he would be subjected to A- rank and even S-rank missions. He was worried… Naruto shook his head in frustration. He was acting like a mother hen! He should stop worrying so much about another person's mission, and focus on his own! Just as he came to this conclusion, his once dormant battle instincts flared at the back of his head. Without even turning around he pivoted on his toes and spun to the right, dodging a fist and then he leaped a few yards away.

Sakura stared manically at Naruto; there was a crazy glint in her eye that promised pain for her victim. Remembering her morning today only intensified her fury.

* * *

_Flash Back:_

_Sakura woke up unusually invigorated. Usually she would be the living dead at this time of the day, but she was fit as a fiddle. _

_That was the first thing that should have hinted to Sakura that something was wrong._

_With a big hearty yawn Sakura stretched out in contentment she heard a slight crack, but it only made her feel better. Smacking her lips dramatically and excavating for eye boogars in her eyelids. When she slowly looked to her right, fingers still digging for optical gold, Sakura screamed bloody murder._

_**There was a freaking leg sticking out of her bed sheets! **__And it definitely wasn't hers. For one thing, the leg was too large and muscled. Her legs were toned too, but with a soft feminine quality. The leg that wasn't hers was thick with muscle, wiry and strong. Sakura followed the muscled trail towards the persons head but it was faced away from her. Suddenly, the leg twitched. Sakura gasped in surprise. But she realized she shouldn't be shocked that her wail had waked the person up. Her shout had to have been powerful enough to break a few glass cups._

_Slowly the head turned around to reveal a black haired male with black onyx eyes and a knowing mischievous smirk. It was Sasuke-kun!!_

"_Hey there beautiful." His voice was thick and sultry. The voice of sex._

_Sakura had been surprised many times in her life, never to the point of unconsciousness. But this would be her first. As she stared into the black onyx pools that were Sasuke's eyes, she promptly fainted._

_When Sakura came to, she sat up and the first thing she saw was Sasuke's naked form. When she looked south, a gush of blood exploded out of her nose. She passed out a again from blood loss. She would have Sasuke's body forever branded in her memories._

_When Sakura came to a second time, she stayed conscious. Sasuke was dressed this time and sitting on a stool looking right at her! Sakura blushed hard when she saw her dark haired love. She couldn't get the memory of his naked body out of her head!_

"_I didn't know you were a pervert Sakura-chan." Sasuke said with a smirk. Sakura blushed furiously, her face redder than a crayola crayon._

"_I-I-I-I," Sakura couldn't seem to speak. She had been in bed with Uchiha Sasuke! She'd had so many wet dreams just thinking about him, and now that she had seen his naked form…well lets just say she would have to change her bed sheets more often._

_Sasuke smirked again. "Don't worry about it, what we did last night was way past perverted, it was __**orgasmic**__," Sasuke said the last bit with a sultry voice, dripping with sexual innuendo._

_Right then and there Sakura would have beaten the previous record holder for how much your eyes could pop out of your sockets. Saying she was surprised would have been the understatement of the century._

"_Did we- We just- last night?' Sakura stammered over her words, but Sasuke seemed to understand because he shook his head with a big smile on his face._

_Sakura fainted again for the third time. With a thump she fell back on her futon. Sasuke laughed. He went into her bathroom to get something to resuscitate her._

_Sakura wasn't embarrassed when she became conscious, no, she was annoyed, at herself specifically. What kind of impression was she giving to Sasuke? That she was a pathetic little girl that blacked out at every surprise? But then again finding out that you unknowingly had sex at the tender age of thirteen was mind blowing. Sakura could swear she had come home alone. And another thing: WHERE THE FUCK WAS HER MOM WHEN THIS HAPPENED? She was derailed from her train of though when Sasuke spoke up._

"_Earth to Sakura." Sakura perked up and stammered an apology at Sasuke. "S-sorry." Sasuke smiled. "Its alright, I was just saying that you should get ready, we're already late for the survival test. The pink haired kunoichi's eyes widened in realization; she had totally forgotten about the survival test! Sakura bolted out of her bed and ran for the bathroom. "Crap, crap, crap, crap, CRAP!" Sasuke chuckled as he stared at Sakura slam the door behind her._

_Five minutes later- Sakura came out of the bathroom in a white towel wrapped around her chest and midriff. She was just about to take it of, but she stopped when she saw that Sasuke was still in her room. Sakura stared at Sasuke surprised that he was still in her room. "Um, you're still here?"_

_Sasuke smirked, "What, it's not like I haven't seen you naked." At this, a shade of red made its way across the kunoichi's face, she let her towel fall to her feet. Sasuke almost passed out from blood loss out his nose but with a monumental amount of effort he managed to control himself with a grimace "I have something to tell you, Sakura-chan." _

_Sakura tilted her head. "What is it?" Sasuke came closer, in fact he was now face to face with Sakura. She stared up at him; somehow sensing what he was about to say was important. _

"_Sakura, I- Sasuke had a serious but penetrating look on his face. His eyes seemed to penetrate into her soul._

"_Yes, what is it?" Sakura said impatiently, she was frantic to get to the survival test, but then she wanted to hear what Sasuke had to say._

"_I just wanted to say- Sasuke continued, "That I am a clone and you are love struck fool." With that phrase just barely out of his now smiling lips, Sasuke began to morph in front of Sakura. His hair was the first to change; it transformed from black to sunny bright blond. Then his eyes switched from black to blue. In the span of five seconds "Sasuke" changed into Naruto._

"_Sayonara, Sakura-chan!" With a broad smile the Naruto clone burst into a thick cloud of smoke in Sakura's face. _

_Sakura just stood there naked, her mouth open wide, her eyes twitching._

* * *

Yes, Sakura was beyond angry she wanted blood and it better be from a certain blonde! What made her so pissed, no gripped with a maddening hunger for Naruto's blood, was the fact that he had played on her infatuation for Sasuke as one might fiddle with an ant. To play on emotions like that was unforgivable to any woman, especially Sakura. The pink haired kunoichi let out a beastly roar that sound like a full grown bull and not a thirteen year old girl. 

"**NARUTO!! You're a dead man… **She said this part with such malice, it actually sent a shiver through Naruto's back. Hell hath no fury like a women scorned. (Well other than the Kyubi, but that's another story) Anyways Naruto found himself dodging Sakura and her now deadly strikes.Inner and Outer Sakura both wanted to maim Naruto. What resulted from their unity was one deadly kunoichi.

Naruto found himself hard pressed to keep dodging, normally dodging Sakura was something he could do with his eyes closed. But now with a maniacal, demonic glint in her eyes she was fighting like a madman, fierce and unpredictable. Plus, when ever he stared at Sakura, unbidden images of her naked form would come swimming into his mind. Her soft curves, small hips… Naruto had a blush forming across his face, he didn't actually like Sakura, but he was a guy, a very healthy and virile guy, so a female's body was a very distracting thought. That distraction was Naruto's doom. Packing a huge wallop Sakura fisted Naruto in the face, she had packed all of her strength into it, and she heard a very satisfying crunch from Naruto's nose. Sakura smiled viciously.

Naruto had enough, with out missing a beat, even with a broken nose, he shun shined behind Sakura and knocked her out with a chop to her neck.

Naruto shook his head in exasperation. If this was Sakura's reaction, he couldn't imagine Sasuke's reaction.

Naruto's imagination soon became reality. Like before his battle instincts had warned him of impending doom, but unlike before he was to slow to dodge. With a hard strike to the back of his face, Naruto face planted into the dirt. He felt himself pulled up by the back of his shirt and twisted around.

A pair of black onyx eyes filled with wrath stared into his.

* * *

_**Terms & Jutsu:**_

_Kaa-san: Mother_

_Bikkohaiden no Jutsu:_

_Name: Crippling Electric Distribution Technique_

_Type: D to B-rank, Supplementary_

_This technique sends electricity down the victims nerves, specifically at the start of the spinal cord. Nerves send signals to each other with organic electrical pulses. By using this technique, the user can disrupt those organic pulses with exterior electrical charges. Basically put, the jutsu totally screws up the opponents spinal which causes temporary paralysis._

* * *

_**AN: PLEASE REVIEW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**  
_

* * *

_  
_


End file.
